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THE  LIBRARY 

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The  Centenary 

OF 

The  First  Presbyterian  Church 

OF 

Nashville,  Tennessee 


The   First    Presbyterian    Church,    Nashville,    Tennessee. 

The    Corner    Stone    Was    Laid    April    28,    1849,    and   the    Building   Dedicated   on 
P'-aster   Sunday,   April    jo.    1851. 


The  First  Presbyterian  Church 

NASHVILLE,  TENNESSEE 


The  Addresses  Delivered   in  Connection 

with     the     Observance     of     the 

One   Hundredth   Anniversary, 

November  8-15,  1914. 


1915 

Foster  &  Parkes  Company 

Nashville,  Tenn. 


i 


BX 


■z  Fii 


iV- 


INDEX  OF  PORTRAITS 


Page 

Present   Church   Edifice    2 

Rev.  William  Hume  8 

Rev.   Gideon   Blackburn,   D.D 16 

Rev.  Obadiah  Jennings,  D.D 24 

Robert   H.   McEwen    32 

Rev.  John  Todd  Edgar,  D.D 40 

A.  W.  Putnam   48 

,^     John  M.  Hill   56 

■  'i     Daniel    F.    Carter    64 

1,     H.  Hill  McAlister  72 

■     Dr.   Paul  F.  Eve,  Sr 80 

Rev.  Joseph  Bardv/ell    88 

Rev.  R.  F.  Bunting,  D.D 96 

^^     James  M.  Hamilton    104 

CM    A.  G.   Adams    112 

a   Joseph  B.  O'Bryan   I2d 

Bradford   Nichol    128 

Rev.  Thomas  Verner  Moore,  D.D 136 

d    Rev.  Henry  J.  Van  Dyke,  D.D 144 

^     Pastor  and  Elders  First  Presbyterian  Church 152 

5     Pastor  and  Deacons  First  Presbyterian  Church 160 

J     Rev.  Thomas  A.  Hoyt,  D.D 168 

'ii     John    Hill    Eakin    176 

^     Byrd  Douglas    184 

^     Rev.   Jere   Witherspoon,   D.D 192 

Rev.  William  M.  Anderson,  D.D 200 

Rev.  James  I.  Vance,  D.D 208 


451815 


CONTENTS 


Page 
Introduction     9 

Centennial  Sermon 

By  Rev.  James  I.  Vance,  D.D 1 1-  21 

Our  World  Obligations 

By  Rev.  Egbert  Watson  Smith,  DiD 22-30 

Greetings  from  the  Representatives  of  Other  Denomina- 
tions 

By  Rev.   Prof.  Thomas   Carter,  D.D 31-34 

Rev.  Carey  E.  Morgan,  D.D 35-36 

Rev.   H.   J.   Mikell,   D.D 36-39 

Rev.  T.  A.  Wigginton,  D.D 39-41 

Rev.  Rufus  W.  Weaver,  D.D 41-  44 

Rabbi  Isidore  Lewinthal    44-  46 

Bishop  Thomas  Sebastian  Byrne 46 

The  History  of  the  First  Church 

By  William  E.  Beard 47-71 

The  Ministers  of  the  First  Church 

By  Rev.  James  H.  McNeilly,  D.D 72-89 

Personal  Reminiscences  of  My  Nashville  Pastorate 

By  Rev.  William  M.  Anderson,  D.D 90-  99 

The  Church  Officers  and  Their  Work 

By  Dr.  James  D.  Plunket 100-161 

The  Place  of  Calvinism  in  History 

By  Prof.  Henry  E.  Dosker,  D.D 162-180 

Messages  from  Other  Presbyterian  Churches  in  Nash- 
ville Through  Their  Pastors 

From  the  Second  Church,  by  Rev.  A.  S.  Allen 181-182 

From  Woodland  Street,  by  Rev.  W.  L.  Caldvirell,  D.D...   182-184 

From  Moore  Memorial,  by  Rev.  L.  E.  McNair,  D.D 184-187 

From  Cottage,  by  Rev.  W.  S.  Barr 187-188 

From  Adams,  by  Rev.  Thomas  H.  Harrison 188-191 

From  Glen  Leven,  by  Rev.  W.  C.  Alexander,  D.D 191-194 

From  West  Nashville,  by  Rev.  G.  B.  Harris 194-196 

Greetings  from  the  Synod  of  Tennessee 

By  Moderator  G.  F.  Nicolassen 196-198 

Greetings    from    the    Executive    Committee   of   Foreign 
Missions 
By  Rev.   S.   H.   Chester,  D.D.,   Secretary 198-201 

Memorial  Address 

By  Major  Wilbur  F.  Foster 202-212 

The  Staying  Power  of  Presbyterianism 

By    President    Walter    W.    Moore,    D.D 213-226 

The  Program  of  Exercises    227-231 


Rev.  .W^ii.l'.am    Humi-:, 

Miiii>ter    iSoi-1833. 


INTRODUCTORY. 

The  Centennial  Anniversary  of  the  founding  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Nashville  was  fittingly  ob- 
served with  exercises  running  through  the  week,  beginning 
with  Sunday,  November  8,  19 14,  and  concluding  with  the 
following  Sunday. 

The  arrangements  for  the  event  were  in  the  hands  of 
a  committee,  appointed  by  the  Session,  and  consisting  of  the 
pastor.  Rev.  James  I.  Vance,  D.D,,  and  the  clerk,  Robert 
S.  Cowan. 

Preliminary  to  the  celebration  a  new  organ  had  been 
installed  at  a  cost  of  some  twelve  thousand  dollars.  The 
case  for  this  magnificent  instrument  is  of  black  walnut,  and 
was  specially  designed  by  the  architect,  Mr.  George  C.  Nor- 
ton, to  harmonize  with  the  other  features  of  the  church. 

The  celebration  began  with  Dr.  Vance's  sermon  on  Sun- 
day morning,  November  8,  and  was  carried  out  in  its  en- 
tirety as  outlined  in  the  program  found  elsewhere  in  this 
volume. 

An  important  feature  of  the  celebration  was  the  open- 
ing of  a  new  department  of  work,  represented  in  the  Settle- 
ment House  at  17 16  Jo  Johnston  Avenue.  A  large  com- 
pany gathered  at  11  o'clock  on  Saturday  morning,  No- 
vember 14',  many  of  them  bringing  with  them  donations 
for  the  work.  The  formal  exercises  were  conducted  by 
Dr.  Vance,  and  consisted  of  brief  remarks,  the  reading  of 
Matthew  25:31-40,  and  prayer.  In  the  work  conducted  in 
the  institution  are  classes  maintained  by  the  Gleaners 
as  a  memorial  of  their  founder.  Miss  Martha  M.  O'Bryan. 
The  Master's  Workers,  as  well  as  the  Gleaners,  are  inter- 
ested in  sustaining  the  Free  Dispensary  and  Clinic. 


The  reception  given  by  the  women's  societies  of  the 
church  on  Friday  evening,  November  13,  was  largely  at- 
tended, not  only  by  members  of  the  congregation,  but  by 
friends  from  other  churches. 

A  feature  of  the  centennial  exercises  which  enlisted 
the  sympathetic  interest  of  the  people  was  the  decoration 
of  the  graves  of  the  ministers  and  charter  members  of 
the  church.  It  was  in  connection  with  this  that  Major 
Foster's  address  was  delivered  in  the  old  City  Cemetery. 
At  this  memorial  service  the  prayer  was  offered  by  Mr. 
Leland  Hume,  a  great-grandson  of  Rev.  William  Hume. 

The  daily  papers  devoted  large  space  to  reports  of  the 
centenary,  and  many  messages  of  congratulation  and  good 
wishes  were  received  from  friends  at  a  distance. 


-10- 


CHAPTER  I. 


A  CENTURY  OLD  CHURCH. 

By  The  Rev.  James  I.  Vance,  D.D. 

Text. — "As  my  strength  was  then,  even  so  is  my  strength  now, 
for  war,  both  to  go  out,  and  to  come  in." — Joshua  14:11. 

We  have  come  today  to  honor  our  mother — our  spiritual 
mother — to  pay  a  tribute  to  the  old  church  that  has  been 
our  home,  and  the  home  of  our  fathers,  for  a  hundred 
years.  Here  on  this  bit  of  ground  where  the  church  stands 
for  a  century  God's  name  has  been  honored,  and  the  rights 
of  religion  administered,  in  accordance  with  the  faith  and 
order  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Here  hymns  have  been 
sung  and  prayers  offered  and  sermons  preached.  Here  mar- 
riage vows  have  been  taken.  From  here  the  dead  have  been 
buried.  Here  a  great  company  of  immortal  souls  have 
made  public  their  acknowledgment  of  Christ  as  Redeemer. 
And  here,  through  the  long  years,  the  faithful  have  gath- 
ered at  the  Holy  Supper  to  keep  tryst  with  Christ. 

A  century  ago  this  church  was  organized.  It  is  a  long 
time  as  men  count  time.  During  this  period  in  some  of  the 
families  on  our  roll  six  successive  generations  have  regis- 
tered themselves  in  our  communion.  But  a  century  is  not 
long,  as  God  counts  time.  A  thousand  years  in  His  sight 
are  but  as  yesterday  when  it  is  past.  The  great  thing  with 
God  is,  not  how  long,  but  how  well — not  how  many  years, 
but  how  much  service — not  how  many  members,  but  what 
is  the  quality  of  their  piety,  the  measure  of  their  sacrifice, 
the  stature  of  their  faith.  In  celebrating  the  church's  cen- 
tennial let  us  be  mindful  of  the  way  God  counts  time. 

Nevertheless,  a  century  of  the  modern  world  is  a  great 

—11- 


era,  and  one  hundred  years  of  the  activities  of  a  great  church 
in  the  modern  world  should  merit  some  attention.  We  are 
living  in  times  wihen  things  happen  quickly,  when  nations 
spring  up  in  a  day,  and  thrones  crumble  between  two  suns, 
when  everything  is  speeded  up,  when  the  world's  furniture 
has  been  so  changed  that  a  modern  century  is  packed  with 
bigger  events  than  an  old-time  millennium.  We  are  living 
in  a  day  when  Christian  eflFort  may  swing  around  the  earth 
and  find  something  great  to  do  for  God  and  humanity  at 
every  stage  of  its  world  tour.  A  century  nowadays  is  tre- 
mendous. Its  possibilities  and  opportunities  for  the  Chris- 
tian church  are  limitless. 

Therefore,  the  day  we  celebrate  is  notable,  and  we 
should  find  in  the  annals  of  this  century-old  church  some 
chapters  worth  recalling  and  some  achievements  worth  re- 
citing. Let  us  keep  the  day,  not  in  any  spirit  of  boastful- 
ness  or  vainglory,  as  though  importance  could  attach  to  us 
by  reason  of  what  others  have  done,  and  not  in  pessimistic 
gloom,  as  though  all  greatness  were  behind  us;  but  let  us 
recall  the  past  with  a  deep  and  reverent  gratitude  to  God 
for  His  unnumbered  blessings,  with  profound  appreciation 
of  the  toil  and  sacrifices  of  those  who  have  gone  before  us, 
with  a  solemn  sense  of  present-day  responsibilities,  and 
with  the  prayer  that  God  will  enable  us  courageously  and 
faithfully  to  do  our  work  in  this  our  day  and  generation. 

OLD    AGE    AT    ITS    BEST. 

The  text  for  the  day  comes  to  us  across  the  lips  and 
out  of  the  life  of  a  man  to  whom  age  was  not  infirmity. 
Down  towards  the  sunset  of  a  splendid  career,  Caleb  said : 
"As  my  strength  was  then,  even  so  is  my  strength  now, 
for  war,  both  to  go  out,  and  to  come  in."  He  was  a  man 
with  a  great  past.  He  was  one  of  the  two  spies  who  re- 
turned from  Canaan  saying,  "We  can  occupy  the  land." 
While  there  he  had  seen  Mount  Hebron,  and  on  his  return 
he  asked  that  it  might  be  given  him  for  his  possession,  when 

-12- 


the  day  should  come  for  Israel  to  occupy  the  Land  of 
Promise.  His  request  was  granted,  and  for  forty  years  he 
lived  without  a  doubt  as  to  the  value  of  his  title.  He  grew 
to  be  an  old  man,  but  his  hope  was  undiminished.  Oh,  these 
glorious  old  men  who,  as  their  bodies  crumple  and  wither, 
have  souls  that  take  on  the  morning!  In  his  old  age,  we 
find  Caleb  as  vigorous  as  in  his  prime.  At  last  the  day 
comes  when  he  asks  Joshua  to  let  him  occupy  Hebron. 
Joshua  looks  him  over  and  speaks  of  the  difficulties.  He 
says :  "Hebron  is  fortified.  The  giants  dwell  there.  The 
sons  of  Anak  are  in  undisputed  possession,  and  you  are  old 
and  infirm.  Your  day  is  over.  Your  dream  must  pass. 
Seek  a  quiet  glen  somewhere  and  there,  free  from  strife,  end 
your  days." 

Listen  to  the  old  man's  reply.  "No,  I  am  not  infirm.  I 
am  old,  to  be  sure,  but  not  worn  out.  My  day  is  not  past. 
The  best  is  not  behind  me.  The  best  is  yet  to  be.  As  my 
strength  was  then,  even  so  is  my  strength  now,  for  war, 
both  to  go  out  and  to  come  in."  As  Joshua  listened  to  the 
ring  in  his  voice,  as  he  saw  the  glint  of  his  eye,  as  he  looked 
past  the  old  man  and  caught  a  vision  of  the  God  who  ever 
backs  up  such  faith,  he  said  to  Caleb,  "Forward,  march !" 
Like  the  hounds  of  war  when  they  have  broken  their  tether, 
Caleb  went  into  action.  He  stormed  Hebron,  not  with  the 
big  siege  guns  of  modern  warfare,  but  with  the  indomitable 
might  of  a  soul  that  trusts  in  God.  The  sons  of  Anak  de- 
parted and  stood  not  on  the  order  of  their  going,  and 
Caleb  entered  Hebron  and  dwelt  there. 

"As  my  strength  was  then,  even  so  is  my  strength  now, 
for  war,  both  to  go  out  and  to  come  in."  May  that  spirit  be 
ours  as  we  cross  the  summit  of  the  century !  May  we  come 
to  this  day,  not  with  a  spirit  of  infirmity,  and  not  in  some 
cheap  mood  of  self-glorification,  but  with  a  great  and  un- 
conquerable determination,  in  the  face  of  all  obstacles,  to 
enter  into  the  rich  promises  of  God.     It  is  no  part  of  my 

-13- 


purpose  this  morning  to  sketch  the  history  of  the  church, 
or  to  dwell  on  the  labors  of  individual  men  and  women 
whose  consecrated  services  have  made  its  history  notable. 
Others  at  the  proper  time  in  these  centennial  exercises 
will  do  this.  I  desire,  however,  to  dip  enough  into  the  past 
to  stir  up  your  pure  minds  by  way  of  remembrance,  and 
then  to  set  your  faces  forward.  I  want  to  speak  of  our 
strength  as  it  was,  and  then  of  our  strength  as  it  is  now,  and 
then  of  our  task. 

THE    PAST. 

First,  let  me  speak  of  our  strength  as  it  was.  The 
strength  of  this  church  for  a  hundred  years  has  been  that 
of  a  people  who  sincerely  accepted  the  evangelical  doctrines 
of  grace  revealed  in  the  Bible,  and  who  have  striven  faith- 
fully to  practice  and  proclaim  them. 

As  we  lift  the  curtain  on  the  past  the  first  to  come  before 
us  are  the  founders,  and  along  with  them  those  who  made 
the  organization  possible.  Two  godly  ministers  stand  out 
in  the  early  days  of  Presbyterianism  in  Middle  Tennessee — 
Rev.  Thomas  B.  Craighead  and  Rev.  William  Hume,  both 
of  whose  names,  through  their  descendants,  abide  on  our 
church  roll.  In  the  same  group  with  these  pioneer  minis- 
ters is  to  be  placed  a  devoted  woman,  Mrs.  Felix  Grundy, 
the  founder  of  Sunday  school  work  in  Nashville.  Follow- 
ing these  are  the  seven  who  met  in  the  courthouse  on  a 
November  day  one  hundred  years  ago  and  organized  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church  in  Nashville — Robert  Smiley, 
Mrs.  Andrew  Ewing,  Mrs.  Mary  McNairy,  Mrs.  Josiah 
Nichol,  Mrs.  Ruth  Greer  Talbot,  Mrs.  Sophia  Hall  and 
Mrs.  Margaret  L.  Anderson,  six  women  and  one  man.  They 
were  a  little  company,  fewier  than  we  are  accustomed  to 
receive  at  a  single  communion.  What  could  they  do  ?  Could 
they  support  a  minister  ?  Could  they  build  a  church  ?  Could 
they  storm  and  capture  Hebron?  Ah,  but  their  faith  was 
great  and  their  devotion  undismayed.  "As  our  strength 
was  then!" 

—14— 


The  spirit  of  unconquerable  determination  and  self-sac- 
rificing devotion  have  characterized  the  church  from  the 
beginning.  You  cannot  turn  the  pages  of  its  past  without 
a  quickening  of  your  pulse.  It  was  organized  in  war  times. 
The  city  was  full  of  soldiers  on  their  way  to  New  Orleans 
to  join  General  Jackson,  who  in  his  old  age  was  received 
into  the  Presbyterian  Church  by  a  later  pastor.  With  every- 
thing on  the  outside  to  distract,  but  with  hearts  garrisoned 
by  God's  peace  and  souls  preoccupied  with  the  glory  of  the 
"Kingdom  that  cometh  not  with  observation,"  these  true 
servants  of  Christ  met  and  organized  their  little  church. 
Soon  they  went  to  work  to  put  a  roof  over  their  heads,  and 
in  two  years  they  had  erected  the  first  church  on  the  present 
site.  Twice  the  house  of  worship  here  has  been  laid  in 
ashes,  and  each  time  the  people  have  arisen  and,  with  a  great 
generosity,  erected  a  better  building  than  the  one  the  fire 
destroyed.  The  present  edifice  was  dedicated  on  Easter 
Sunday,  1850,  and  cost  $51,000.  At  the  time  the  church 
had  three  hundred  and  fifty-seven  members.  The  money 
was  raised  during  a  period  of  great  financial  depression. 
What  courage  they  had !  What  sublime  faith  ?  With  few 
members  in  hard  times,  they  built  a  church  which  will  be  a 
credit  to  religion  as  long  as  men  meet  on  this  corner  to 
worship  God !  Soon  the  new  church  was  unroofed  by  a 
storm.  In  a  few  years  it  was  unroofed  again.  Then  came 
the  dreadful  war,  when  the  church  was  taken  from  the 
people  by  the  United  States  Government  and  used  as  a 
hospital,  while  the  owners  of  the  church  were  left  without 
a  local  habitation  for  their  faith.  It  must  have  been  a  great 
day  when  they  came  home ;  when,  with  the  war  over  and  the 
church  repaired  and  refurnished,  they  met  once  more  in  the 
place  they  loved  so  well  and  sang  "How  Firm  a  Founda- 
tion," and  "I  Love  Thy  Church,  O  God!"  Such  was  the 
spirit  of  devotion  manifested  by  those  who  have  gone  before 
us  and  such  the  strength  of  the  church  in  years  gone  by. 

From  the  first  it  has  been  a  church  blessed  by  the  labors 

-15— 


of  Christian  women.  For  a  while  saintly  Robert  Smiley 
was  the  sole  representative  of  his  sex.  Many  women  joined 
the  church — so  much  so  that  Dr.  Henderson,  of  Murfrees- 
boro,  protested  to  Dr.  Blackburn  that  he  was  not  in  the 
habit  of  preaching  to  congregations  of  women  only.  What 
would  the  church  have  done  without  the  work  of  these 
women!  I  am  grateful,  however,  that  the  men  have  not 
continued  to  be  in  such  a  hopeless  minority  as  at  the  be- 
ginning. It  has  grown  to  be  a  man's  church,  too,  and 
among  the  elements  of  our  strength  have  been  men  whose 
characters  were  the  synonym  of  integrity  and  whose  influ- 
ence has  been  a  saving  power  in  the  community.  I  think  of 
three  men  who  were  here  wihen  I  first  became  your  pastor, 
and  who  moved  among  the  people  exalting  the  holy  office 
of  elder — A.  G.  Adams,  James  M.  Hamilton  and  Joseph  B. 
O'Bryan.  There  were  others  whose  work  will  be  referred 
to  as  these  exercises  proceed  who  loved  the  church  and  put 
it  first.  Two  men  in  a  notable  way  have  remembered  the 
church  in  their  last  will  and  testament — ^John  M.  Hill  and 
bis  nephew  and  namesake,  John  Hill  Eakin.  Through  their 
splendid  generosity  their  influence  will  be  felt  as  long  as 
the  old  church  has  a  name  to  live.  Such  men  and  such 
women  were  our  strength  in  former  days. 

It  has  been  a  family  church.  All  of  the  founders,  with 
possibly  one  exception,  are  represented  by  their  descendants 
in  the  membership  today.  While  it  has  long  since  become 
a  downtown  church,  the  love  of  the  children  for  the  house 
of  their  fathers  has  been  such  that  they  have  declined  to 
desert  it,  and  for  long  distances  they  come  to  the  Sunday 
school  and  to  the  church  services.  What  memories  gather 
round  such  a  place !  What  hallowed  associations  are  treas- 
ured in  such  a  shrine !  A  church  with  a  past  is  a  heritage, 
and  when  you  add  to  this  the  sacramental  ties  of  blood,  the 
legacy  of  association  is  priceless.  Here  are  men  in  office 
who  bear  the  very  names,  as  well  as  perpetuate  the  services, 
of  pious   forbears.     Here  come  children  to  the  baptismal 

-16- 


Rkv.  Gideon  Blackburn,  D.D. 

Pastor    1814-18:9. 


altar  from  an  unbroken  line  in  the  old  church,  and  their 
very  names  lift  the  curtain  on  the  past.  As  I  look  down  on 
you  this  morning  I  see  not  only  yours,  but  the  faces  of  men 
and  women  who  have  joined  their  voices  with  ours  in  the 
worship,  for  I  cannot  conceive  that  they  have  ceased  to  care 
for  the  old  church.  AH  of  this  goodly  fellowship  is  a  part 
of  our  strength  as  it  was. 

It  has  been  an  unselfish  church.  Colony  after  colony  has 
been  sent  out  to  organize  new  churches.  Eight  independent 
congregations  have  been  thus  formed.  It  has  not  been  a 
sectarian  church.  While  it  is  Presbyterian,  its  denomi- 
nationalism  has  not  been  intruded  on  the  community.  It  is 
commonly  called  just  "the  First  Church."  Tliis  abbreviation 
sometimes  gets  us  into  trouble,  as  was  the  case  with  the 
lady  living  in  the  suburbs,  who,  in  putting  her  little  girl  on 
the  street  car,  told  the  conductor  to  put  her  off  at  the 
"First  Church."  The  child  was  lost,  and  when  at  last  the 
conductor  was  found,  he  straightened  out  the  situation  by 
saying,  "You  told  me  to  put  her  off  at  the  first  church, 
and  I  put  her  off  at  the  first  one  I  came  to."  This  title  is 
not  used  in  arrogance.  It  merely  means  that  the  church 
is  not  a  sectarian,  but  a  community  institution.  Here  some 
of  the  great  public  events  have  been  held.  Governors  have 
been  inaugurated  into  office.  Interdenominational  gather- 
ings have  convened.  It  was  in  this  house  that  the  Southern 
Sociological  Congress  was  inaugurated.  And  all  of  this  is 
but  the  smallest  part  of  our  strength  "as  it  was,"  for  the 
great  glory  of  the  church  has  been  above  and  beyond  all 
this.  Here  souls  have  been  saved.  A  great  company  have 
found  the  Lord. 

This  is  enough  to  give  us  a  glimpse  of  the  past — a  hint, 
.-it  least,  of  the  kind  of  church  that  has  been  doing  business 
on  this  corner  for  the  last  hundred  years.  We  have  noth- 
ing to  be  ashamed  of.  We  may  hold  up  our  heads  and  say 
with  honest  pride  and  gratitude  to  God,  "As  our  strength 
was  then." 

-17- 


THE     PRESENT. 

Let  me  speak  next  of  our  strength  "as  it  is."  The 
strength  of  this  church  today  is  made  up  of  people  who 
sincerely  accept  the  evangelical  doctrines  of  grace  as  re- 
vealed in  the  Bible,  and  who  strive  faithfully  to  practice 
and  proclaim  them.  Obr  resources  and  opportunities,  how- 
ever, for  doing  this  are  vastly  increased,  and  likewise  our 
responsibility. 

We  occupy  a  costly  site.  More  people  throng  these  four 
corners  probably  than  any  similar  section  of  the  city.  Real 
estate  here  is  correspondingly  high.  We  are  not  willing  to 
sell  out  to  business  and  take  a  lower-priced  site.  We  pay 
no  taxes.  We  must  vindicate  our  location.  We  are  acces- 
sible. All  the  lines  of  urban  transportation  land  passen- 
gers at  our  door.  Sometimes  we  are  disposed  to  complain 
of  the  noise  of  the  cars.  But  there  is  a  compensation.  They 
bring  us  the  people. 

We  have  a  large  membership.  For  many  years  this  has 
been  the  largest  congregation  in  the  Assembly.  This  fact  in 
itself  is  no  particular  distinction  save  as  it  represents  re- 
sources for  Christian  work.  We  have  between  fifteen  and 
sixteen  hundred  members — a  big  crowd  compared  with  the 
little  group  of  seven  who  organized  the  church  a  hundred 
years  ago.  If  they  could  step  out  and  say,  "We  can,"  why 
should  this  big  church  hesitate?  We  are  not  poor,  not  if 
judged  by  the  tax  list,  by  the  style  in  which  we  live,  by 
the  money  we  spend  on  ourselves.  We  are  not  a  poor  con- 
gregation if  judged  by  the  gifts  we  make  to  causes  outside 
our  church  benevolences.  When  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association  recently  raised  four  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars for  a  new  building,  about  half  of  it  came  from  mem- 
bers of  this  church.  If  in  1815  a  handful  of  members 
could  build  a  church,  surely  we  should  not  be  staggered  by 
an  undertaking.  If,  in  1848,  with  the  church  in  ashes  and  a 
financial  panic  blighting  the  land,  less  than  one-fourth  the 
present  membersliip  of  the  church  could  build  this  house, 

-18- 


W€  should  be  equal  to  any  forward  movement  the  work  de- 
mands ;  and  if  we  hesitate,  it  is  not  from  lack  of  ability,  but 
of  inclination  and  interest  and  sacrifice. 

We  are  a  downtown  church.  Some  regard  this  as  a 
handicap.  I  look  upon  it  as  an  asset.  These  smoke-be- 
grimed towers  look  down  on  the  busy  street  thronged  with 
people  and  seem  to  say,  "Remember  God !"  The  great  bell 
in  the  tower  peals  out  its  summons  above  all  the  noises  of 
the  city,  reminding  men  of  the  other  world.  Give  me  a 
church  located  where  life  is  densest,  and  human  need  is 
greatest — not  a  church  in  some  sequestered  sylvan  retreat, 
not  a  temple  in  some  lonely  solitude  far  removed  from  the 
walks  of  life  and  attended  only  by  the  children  of  privilege 
and  leisure,  but  give  me  a  church  whose  doorstep  is  on  the 
pavement,  against  whose  walls  beat  and  lap  the  tides  of 
labor,  whose  hymns  mingle  with  the  rattle  of  cars  and  the 
groans  of  traffic,  whose  seats  are  within  easy  reach  of  men 
falling  under  heavy  burdens,  and  whose  altars  are  hal- 
lowed by  the  publican's  prayer.  Gt>d  grant  that  this  old 
church  on  the  busiest  corner  of  the  town  may  be  increasingly 
this  kind  of  a  church  ! 

There  is  an  enrichment  which  comes  with  an  historical 
background.  We  have  a  big  asset  in  our  past.  For  a  hun- 
dred years  this  church  has  stood  at  the  center  of  a  great 
State,  and  under  the  leadership  of  ministers  who  have  been, 
not  sectarian  bigots,  but  public  servants,  it  has  sounded  out 
a  message  that  has  heartened  the  men  who  were  fighting  for 
the  cause  of  the  people.  With  such  a  past  we  have  come 
upon  the  greatest  era  in  human  history.  The  world  never 
needed  a  real  church  more  than  now.  There  was  never  so 
much  work  to  do.  Its  market  value  was  never  so  high.  If 
the  church  does  not  help  the  world  in  these  days,  God  have 
mercy  on  civilization ! 

We  have  all  the  spiritual  assets ;  all  the  promises  are 
ours.  God  is  as  near  to  us  as  He  was  to  our  fathers.  He 
has  as  much  for  us  as  He  had  for  the  founders.     If  they 

-19- 


could  stq)  out  seven  strong,  shall  we,  fifteen  hundred  strong, 
rot  down  in  ease  ?  In  view  of  all  this,  may  w^  not  say  that 
the  century  has  at  least  not  loaded  us  down  with  infirmity  ? 
"As  our  strength  was  then,  even  so  is  our  strength  now." 

OUR    TASK. 

Let  me  speak,  in  closing,  of  our  task.  It  is  still  to  train 
people  who  sincerely  accept  the  evangelical  doctrines  of 
grace  as  revealed  in  the  Bible,  and  who  strive  faithfully  to 
practice  and  proclaim  them. 

It  is  a  poor  remembrance  of  the  past  that  forgets  the 
future.  These  celebrations  of  church  anniversaries  are  a 
sign  of  decay  if  they  end  in  nothing  but  a  panegyric  of  the 
dead.  What  is  there  for  us  to  do?  Why  are  we  what  we 
are?  Hebron  waits  for  us  to  possess  it.  The  sons  of 
Anak  are  still  there.  Have  we  the  heart  to  go  against  them  ? 
Do  we  believe  by  the  help  of  God  we  can  drive  them  out 
and  possess  the  land  ?  Have  we  grown  soft  and  senile  with 
age,  or  can  we  say  with  Caleb,  "As  my  strength  was  then, 
even  so  is  my  strength  now,  for  war  ?" — not  for  ease,  but  for 
war! 

We  must  do  more  than  hold  our  own.  No  army  ever 
conquered  an  enemy  by  holding  its  own.  The  curse  of  the 
one  talent  man  was  that  he  did  nothing  but  hold  his  own. 
H'e  brought  back  all  that  Christ  hadi  given  him  and  got  a 
condemnation.  The  same  awaits  a  church  that  does  no 
more.  How  are  we  meeting  our  task?  What  will  they  be 
saying  of  us  a  hundred  years  hence?  Will  they  say  as  much 
for  us  as  we  are  saying  for  those  who  have  gone  before 
us?  They  will  ask,  "Did  the  church  at  its  centenary  move 
forward?  Did  it  plan  a  larger  work?  Did  any  one  bring 
a  gift?  Did  any  one  celebrate  the  centennial  by  yielding 
himself  to  Christ?"  The  fact  that  we  happen  to  be  alive, 
at  this  date,  and  members  of  the  church  on  its  hundredth 
anniversary  does  not  invest  us  with  a  halo.  What  are  we 
doing  with  our  strength?  Are  we  merely  enjoying  our  re- 
ligion ? 

-20- 


We  must  make  it  possible  for  the  church  to  do  its  largest 
work.  If  we  do  not,  who  will?  We  can  fetter  or  release 
its  energies.  If  the  project  were  a  hospital  or  some  new 
philanthropy,  its  success  might  not  depend  on  us.  It  would 
find  friends  to  furnish  the  funds  needed  in  all  churches 
and  outside  any  church.  But  if  we  are  to  have  a  new  Sun- 
day school  building  we  must  come  forward  or  the  thing 
will  not  be  done.  We  owe  it  to  the  past  to  give  the  church 
the  best  chance  for  the  future,  so  that,  when  a  hundred  years 
hence  the  people  recall  our  times,  they  may  hold  their  heads 
high  and  look  the  sons  of  Anak  in  the  face  without  a  fear 
and  say,  "As  our  strength  was  then — " 

Is  this  church  as  safe  in  our  hands  as  it  was  in  the  hands 
of  preceding  generations  ?  Are  we  as  devoted  to  Christ's 
cause?  Are  we  as  quick  to  see  what  is  needed  and  as  ready 
to  meet  it?  Are  we  as  bold  to  plan  and  as  faithful  to  exe- 
cute? Is  personal  piety  as  fine?  Are  family  altars  as  com- 
mon? Are  we  as  diligent  in  giving  our  children  religious 
instruction  ?  Are  we  as  reverential  in  the  observance  of  the 
Sabbath,  as  regular  in  our  church  attendance,  and  as  con- 
cerned for  the  salvation  of  souls?  Is  the  stock  in  this  old 
church  improving  or  petering  out  ?  I  leave  you  to  answer, 
and  pray  that  God  may  give  us  vision  and  faith!  May  this 
centennial  season  be  a  time  of  revival !  O  for  the  faith  of 
Caleb !  Let  us  believe  that  what  God  has  promised  is  as 
securely  ours  as  what  He  has  already  bestowed,  and  let  us 
live  accordingly.  Let  us  push  on.  We  have  a  mighty  God, 
and  in  His  name  we  can  get  the  victory.  Hebron  has  been 
given  us.  Are  we  the  people  to  take  it?  God  help  us  to 
say  we  are !  Be  it  ours  to  maintain  the  traditions  of  this 
church,  to  keep  the  banner  flying,  so  to  live  and  labor  that 
now,  and  in  the  years  to  come,  our  Zion  shall  merit  the 
"Well  done!"  of  God  and  man. 

"Up!     Let  all  the  soul  within  you 
For  the  truth's  sake  go  abroad; 
Strike!     Let  every  nerve  and  sinew 
Tell  on  ages,  tell  for  God!" 

—21— 


CHAPTER  II. 


OUR  WORLD  OBLIGATION. 

By  Rev.  Egbert  W.  Smith,  D.D. 

I  esteem  it  a  privilege  to  take  part  in  the  celebration 
of  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  this  historic  church. 
It  is  fitting  that  foreign  missions  should  have  a  voice  in  this 
celebration,  because  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  this  church 
has  been  a  larger  factor  than  any  other  church  in  the  mem- 
bership of  our  Foreign  Mission  Committee  and  in  the  con- 
duct of  its  great  work.  Your  gifted  pastor  is  Chairman 
of  our  committee ;  for  eight  years  one  of  your  good  elders 
has  been  Chairman  of  our  most  important  sub-committee; 
your  church  is  furnishing  us  our  mission  rooms  rent  free, 
and  your  contribution  to  this  cause  now  amounts  to  between 
five  and  six  thousand  dollars  per  annum.  In  the  name  of 
our  whole  committee,  therefore,  I  bring  you  our  most 
grateful  greetings  and  the  assurance  of  our  prayers  that 
your  future  may  not  dim  but  diadem  your  past. 

It  is  always  interesting  to  trace  the  course  of  a  mighty 
river  back  and  up  to  its  fountain-head,  to  stand  beside  some 
crystal  spring  as  it  wells  up  from  the  earth's  deep  heart 
and  say,  "Here  starts  the  stream  whose  waters  fertilize  and 
bless  a  continent." 

To  find  the  fountain-head  of  foreign  missions,  whose 
waters  centuries  ago  brought  life  and  healing  to  our  people 
and  are  yet  to  overspread  and  bless  the  world,  we  must  go 
back  and  up  till  we  reach — the  heart  of  God. 

-22- 


Across  the  seas  of  ether  God  the  Father  looked  and 
beheld  our  little  far-away  foreign  planet  in  its  sin  and  misery 
and  want.  His  great  heart  responded  to  our  needs,  and  the 
first  ship  that  ever  bore  a  missionary  away  from  the  love 
and  light  of  home  to  carry  the  Gospel  to  a  foreign  shore 
sailed  from  the  port  of  Heaven.  It  bore  Jesus  Christ. 
It  was  sent  by  God  the  Father.  "God  so  loved  the  world 
that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son." 

It  is  this  world-love  of  God  that  inspires,  pervades  and 
shapes  the  entire  plan  of  redemption.  The  individual  or  the 
church  that  has:  only  a  personal  outlook  or  a  parish  outlook 
or  a  national  outlook,  has  yet  to  learn  the  true  aim  and 
glory  of  our  Christianity. 

Away  back  in  the  early  chapters  of  Genesis  we  hear 
God  saying  to  Abraham,  "In  thee  shall  all  the  nations  of 
the  earth  be  blessed."  David  understood  it,  "That  Thy 
way  may  be  known  upon  earth,  Thy  saving  health  among 
all  nations."  Isaiah  understod  it,  "Look  unto  me  and  be  ye 
saved  all  the  ends  of  the  earth."  The  angel  at  Bethlehem 
understood  it,  "Behold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great 
joy  which  shall  be  to  all  people."  Jesus  Christ  understood 
it,  "The  bread  that  I  will  give  is  my  flesh,  which  I  will  give 
for  the  life  of  the  world."  In  that  pattern  prayer  which 
He  taught  us,  before  we  ask  for  the  daily  bread  on  which 
our  bodily  lives  depend,  before  we  ask  for  the  forgiveness 
on  which  our  spiritual  lives  depend,  we  are  to  pray,  "Thy 
Kingdbm  come.  Thy  will  be  done,  in  earth,  as  it  is  in 
heaven."  That  amazing  sacrifice  of  His  on  Calvary,  for 
whom  did  He  mean  it?  Let  scripture  answer,  "He  is  the 
propitiation  for  our  sins,  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for 
the  sins  of  the  whole  world." 

And  you  remember  that  final  scene  on  Mount  Olivet. 
The  Saviour  has  finished  His  atoning  work.  He  is  on 
the  resurrection  side  of  the  grave.  He  is  about  to  return 
to  His  Father's  house.    Around  Him  are  grouped  His  Jew- 

-23- 


ish  disciples.  They  are  thinking  only  of  their  own  land  and 
their  own  race.  They  are  asking  only  about  "the  restora- 
tion of  the  Kingdom  unto  Israel."  But  the  Saviour's  great 
heart  took  in  heathen  America  as  well  as  sacred  Judea. 
He  was  thinking  of  pagan  Europe,  in  whose  forests  our 
ancestors  were  roaming  about  in  half-naked  savagery,  as 
well  as  of  favored  Galilee.  So  to  those  Jewish  disciples  He 
said,  as  His  final  and  supreme  command,  "Go  ye  into  all 
the  world ;  make  disciples  of  all  the  nations ;  preach  the 
gospel  to  every  creature." 

So  we  see  that  the  world-wide  missionary  enterprise  is 
no  incident  or  afterthought  of  Christianity.  It  is  the  origi- 
nal purpose  of  Christianity.  It  is  that  for  which  God  gave 
His  Son  to  die.  It  is  that  around  which  cluster  the  most 
thrilling  scenes,  the  most  solemn  sanctions,  the  most  glo- 
rious promises,  the  most  binding  commandments,  of  our  holy 
religion. 

If  we  believe  that  in  Christ  alone  is  found  the  truth  that 
satisfies  the  intellect,  the  power  that  regenerates  the  life, 
and  the  hope  that  illumines  the  future ;  if  we  believe  that  to 
men's  need  of  Christ  there  is  no  exception,  and  to  His  power 
to  save  them  there  is  no  limit ;  if  we  believe  that  He  is  the 
gift  of  the  Father  to  all,  that  He  died  to  make  atonement 
for  the  sins  of  all,  that  He  has  been  lifted  up  to  draw  all 
men  unto  Him,  then  we  must  believe  that  the  church's  first 
duty,  the  church's  chief  business,  is  to  give  the  knowledge 
of  this  Saviour  to  all  mankind. 

To  this  conclusion  of  scripture  and  reason  our  own  be- 
loved church  says  Amen.  When  our  Southern  Presbyterian 
Church  was  organized  in  December,  1861,  in  the  city  of 
Augusta,  Georgia,  that  first  historic  Assembly  adopted  the 
following  declaration :  "The  General  Assembly  desires 
distinctly  and  deliberately  to  inscribe  on  our  church's  ban- 
ner, as  it  now  first  unfurls  it  to  the  world,  in  immediate 

—24— 


Rev.    Ouadiah    Jennings,    D.D., 

Pastor    1828-183-'. 


connection  with  the  headship  of  our  Lord,  His  last  com- 
mand, 'Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature,'  regarding  this  as  the  great  end  of  her 
organization." 

Any  church  whose  congregational  life  is  not  adjusted 
to  this  missionary  end  is  like  a  ship  whose  prow  is  placed 
at  the  side  or  rear  of  the  vessel.  A  scriptural  church  puts 
first  things  first. 

Some  years  ago  in  Michigan  a  missionary  speaker  noticed 
in  his  audience  a  woman  whose  whole  appearance  spoke  of 
deepest  poverty;  but  there  was  a  light  in  her  faded  face 
which  fascinated  him.  He  took  occasion  to  speak  to  her. 
"Two  years  ago,"  she  told  him,  "I  learned  for  the  first 
time  of  this  foreign  missionary  work,  and  each  month  since 
I  have  been  able  to  put  something  in  the  treasui-y."  Her 
bent  form  straightened  and  her  eyes  shone  as  she  con- 
tinued, "When  I  have  made  my  offering  I  am  conscious 
that  I  am  no  longer  simply  a  part  of  this  little  town,  or 
even  of  this  great  Commonwealth ;  I  am  a  part  of  the  forces 
which  God  is  using  for  the  uplifting  of  the  nations."  There 
we  have  God's  own  antidote  to  that  spiritual  littleness  and 
narrowness  which  is  the  chief  temptation  of  the  Christian 
life. 

There  is  nothing  that  so  develops,  broadens,  elevates  and 
ennobles  a  church  or  an  individual  as  identification  with  a 
great  cause.  Many  a  church  is  like  a  steamship  trying  to 
navigate  in  a  mill  pond.  No  great  port  to  reach,  no  wide  sea 
to  sail  in,  no  vast  horizon  for  the  eye,  no  large  responsi- 
bility for  the  mind,  nothing  but  a  dull  routine  of  little 
things  to  occupy  the  passengers  and  crew — no  wonder 
they  become  narrow  and  selfish,  and  their  mission  and  pos- 
sibilities as  a  church  are  left  tragically  unrealized.  Let  us 
never  forget  that  every  church,  however  small,  and  every 

-25- 


Christian,  however  humble,  is  a  ship  built  by  Christ  for  a 
world  voyage.  Its  home  is  to  be  the  great  ocean,  its  hori- 
zon the  earth's  rim,  and  its  port  the  discipling  of  all  na- 
tions. 

But  our  world  obligation  involves  more  than  a  supreme 
task;  it  involves  also  a  sacred  trust. 

The  Bible  declares  over  and  over  again  that  we  are  put 
in  trust  with  the  gospel  for  the  world.  The  unsearchable 
riches  of  Christ  we  do  not  hold  as  a  piece  of  private  prop- 
erty, but  as  a  trust  fund  for  the  benefit  of  all  nations.  The 
Bible  calls  us  not  owners,  but  trustees,  stewards,  of  the 
grace  of  God.  To  neglect  a  task  is  one  thing,  to  betray  a 
trust  is  a  far  darker  thing,  whose  punishment  is  that  of  the 
unfaithful  steward  whom  his  lord  put  out  of  the  steward- 
ship. 

Why  did  the  Christian  churches  of  the  early  centuries 
lapse  into  what  are  known  as  the  Dark  Ages?  Because 
the  church  turned  its  God-given  candle  into  a  dark  lantern. 
Because  it  said,  "So  long  as  I  see  the  light  I  care  not  who  is 
in  the  dark."  North  Africa  and  Syria  and  other  lands,  to 
which  missionaries  are  now  sent,  thirteen  centuries  ago 
were  starred  with  Christian  churches.  But  they  became 
self-absorbed.  They  forgot  their  missionary  character.  And 
God  removed  their  candlestick  out  of  its  place. 

But  we  need  not  go  outside  the  Bible  for  illustrations. 
In  His  own  Book  God  has  given  the  modern  church  a  vivid 
warning. 

What  was  it  that  exalted  the  Jews  above  all  the  other 
peoples  of  the  earth  ?  It  was  the  fact  that  to  them  was  given 
the  knowledge  of  God.  The  long  effort  of  God  with  that 
people  was  to  train  and  fit  them  for  certain  ofifices  which 
they  were  to  render  to  mankind.  As  God  said  to  Abraham, 
"In  thee  shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed." 

We  believe  in  election,  but  we  do  not  interpret  it  as 

—26— 


God's  taking  one  nation  or  individual  to  his  heart  to  be 
petted  and  pampered  and  made  a  favorite  of  to  the  exclu- 
sion of  all  others.  We  rather  think  of  it  as  God's  choosing 
one  of  HSs  nations  and  molding  it,  training  it,  fusing  its  life 
into  transparency,  that  it  might  be  capable  of  transmitting 
him  and  His  blessing  to  all  the  rest.  That  is  what  divine 
privilege  means.  If  God  elected  you  to  spiritual  life  and 
light,  be  sure  He  was  thinking  of  you  not  as  a  terminal  but 
as  a  channel,  not  as  an  absorbent  but  as  a  radiator,  not  as  a 
favorite  but  as  a  steward. 

The  tragedy  of  Jewish  history  is  that  the  distinguishing 
privilege  granted  this  favored  people  bred  in  them  such  a 
spirit  of  selfishness  that  when  Jonah  found  that  God  was 
about  to  have  mercy  on  people  who  were  not  Jews,  he  fell 
into  a  rage;  and  when  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem  heard  Paul 
say  that  God  had  commanded  him  to  go  unto  the  Gentiles, 
they  cast  dust  into  the  air  and  cried,  "Away  with  such  a 
fellow  from  the  earth !" 

The  supreme  sin  of  the  Jews,  the  sin  of  which  the  re- 
jection of  Christ  was  but  the  effect  and  the  expression,  was 
this :  The  most  sacred  trust  ever  committed  to  human 
keeping,  the  knowledge  of  God,  they  held  as  a  piece  of  pri- 
vate property,  they  used  as  a  personal  luxury.  And  the 
history  of  the  Jews  ever  since,  the  most  awful  history  of 
blood  and  tears  of  which  the  race  holds  record,  is  simply 
the  judgment  of  God,  writ  large  for  all  the  world  to  read, 
on  the  sin  of  the  unfaithful  steward. 

But  that  is  ancient  history,  you  say.  Not  at  all.  All 
about  us  at  this  moment  are  Judaisms  of  intellectual  culture, 
Judaisms  of  social  privilege,  and,  worst  and  commonest  of 
all,  Judaisms  of  religious  light. 

Here  is  a  man  excellent  and  indeed  admirable  in  many 
respects,  a  good  neighbor,  a  kind  father,  a  reputable  church 
member.  He  is  a  highly  privileged  man.  His  lot  is  cast 
in  a  land  of  Bibles  and  churches.    His  home  is  bright  with 

-27— 


Christian  faith  and  love  and  purity.  His  future  is  glorified 
with  an  immortal  hope.  The  graves  of  his  loved  ones  are 
rainbowed  with  the  prospect  of  reunion  in  the  Father's 
house.  Thrice  happy  man !  But  when  you  tell  him  of  the 
nations  that  still  sit  in  darkness,  waiting,  dumbly  waiting, 
while  the  slow  centuries  pass,  for  "that  Light  whose  dawn- 
ing maketh  all  things  new,"  he  listens  with  a  deadly  apathy 
Poor  little  Jew !  The  most  sacred  trust  on  earth,  the  trust 
of  religious  light,  he  has  turned  into  a  personal  luxury. 
"Provided  I  have  the  light,"  he  says,  "and  my  little  circle. 
I  care  not  who  is  in  the  dark." 

What  that  little  Jew  needs  above  all  else  is  what  that 
other  Jew,  of  Tarsus,  needed — a  vision  of  Christ.  When 
Paul  caught  a  view  of  Him  who  loved  and  who  died  for 
all  men,  in  the  blaze  of  that  ineffable,  all-embracing  love,  the 
old  Jewish  selfishness  in  his  heart  withered  and  vanished 
away  and  in  its  place  was  born  a  new  sense  which  became 
the  motive  power  of  Paul's  life,  the  sense  of  a  trust,  the 
divine  principle  of  stewardship.  Because  God  had  en- 
trusted him  with  the  precious  knowledge  of  Christ,  he  owed 
that  knowledge  to  the  whole  world.  "I  am  debtor,"  he 
cries,  "both  to  the  Greeks  and  to  the  barbarians,  both  to 
the  wise  and  to  the  unwise." 

Not  till  we  have  learned  the  spirit  of  stewardship,  which 
is  the  Spirit  of  Christ ;  not  till  we  can  say  with  Paul,  "I  am 
debtor,"  have  we  passed  from  Judaism  into  Christianity. 

You  have  read  of  the  awful  Irish  famine  of  1845.  Men 
and  women  were  lying  dead  on  their  cabin  floors.  Babies 
were  starving  on  the  withered  breasts  of  their  dead  moth- 
ers. Many  lay  dead  in  the  fields,  often  with  blades  of  grass 
between  their  white  teeth.  When  the  cry  of  famishing  Ire- 
land reached  America,  instantly  a  great  ship  was  filled  with 
provisions  and  sent  speeding  across  the  Atlantic.  Suppose 
the  crew  of  that  ship,  instead  of  going  to  Ireland,  had  gone 
off  on  a  pleasure  cruise,  visiting  distant  and  delightful  coun- 

—28- 


tries,  feasting  for  weeks  and  months  on  the  provisions  in 
the  ship,  while  the  poor  Irish  stretched  out  their  fast-thin- 
ning fingers  and  prayed  and  pined  and  starved  for  the 
bread  that  never  came — what  would  have  been  the  sin  of 
that  crew?  Simply  this,  the  sin  of  turning  a  sacred  trust 
into  a  personal  luxury,  of  all  sins  the  most  prevalent  in  the 
church  today  and  the  most  paralyzing  to  the  progress  of 
Christ's  Kingdom. 

And  this  is  no  fancy  picture.  In  China  today  our  mis- 
sion schools  are  turning  away  applicants  for  lack  of  room; 
our  churches  are  crowded  to  suffocation,  while  the  sur- 
rounding villages  are  begging,  and  begging  in  vain,  for 
teachers  and  preachers.  "How  can  we  know?"  said  an  old 
man  recently  to  one  of  our  missionaries.  "We  live  in  a  vil- 
lage where  no  one  ever  comes  to  teach  us.  How  can  we 
know  ?" 

Gur  Congo  Mission  is  receiving  delegations,  often  seven 
or  eight  a  week,  from  native  tribes,  sometimes  hundreds  of 
miles  distant,  begging  for  a  man  of  God  to  be  sent  to  them. 
But  each  of  our  workers  is  already  doing  two  or  three 
men's  work.  When  these  messengers  are  told  this  they 
often  refuse  to  be  refused.  They  sit  down  on  the  ground 
sometimes  for  twenty-four  hours,  hoping  against  hope,  be- 
fore taking  up  their  long  journey  home.  One  distant  vil- 
lage, in  expectation  of  a  teacher,  built  a  church,  which  has 
long  since  rotted  down  unused. 

That  famine  scene  is  no  fancy  picture.  The  non-Chris- 
tian world  is  stretching  out  its  hands  to  us  for  that  Bread 
of  Life  which  Christ  has  given  us  in  trust  for  them,  com- 
manding with  His  last  breath,  "Take  it  into  all  the  world 
and  give  it  to  every  creature."  We  have  multiplied  minis- 
ters and  churches  for  ourselves  till  in  this  Southland  we  have 
one  Protestant  minister  to  every  four  hundred  and  seventy 
people,  and  one  Protestant  church  to  every  three  hundred 

-29- 


and  nineteen,  while  over  yonder  millions  are  yet  groping  in 
utter  darkness.    Are  we  turning  a  trust  into  a  luxury  ? 

"Through  midnight  gloom  from  Macedon 
The  cry  of  myriads  as  of  one, 
The  voiceful  silence  of  despair 
Is  eloquent  in  awful  prayer, 
The  soul's  exceeding  bitter  cry, 
'Come  o'er  and  help  us,  lest  we  die !' 

How  mournfully  it  echoes  on ! 
For  half  the  earth  is  Macedon. 
These  brethren  to  their  brethren  call, 
And  by  the  Love  that  loves  them  all. 
And  by  the  whole  world's  Life  they  cry, 
'O  ye  that  live,  behold  we  die !' 

Jesus,  for  men  of  man  the  Son — 
Yea,  thine  the  cry  from  Macedon — 
O,  by  Thy  Kingdom  and  Thy  power 
And  glory  of  thine  advent  hour. 
Wake  heart  and  will  to  hear  their  cry, 
Help  us  to  help  them,  lest  we  die !" 


—30— 


CHAPTER  III. 


GREETINGS  FROM  REPRESENTATIVES  OF 
OTHER  CHURCHES. 

From    the   Methodists. 
By  Prof.  Thomas  Carter,  D.D. 

I  count  it  a  very  high  honor,  my  friends,  to  be  present 
on  this  happy  occasion  and  present  to  you  the  greetings 
of  the  Methodists  of  the  City  of  Nashville,  of  the  State 
of  Tennessee,  and  of  our  entire  Southland.  There  are 
over  two  millions  of  us,  and  we  are  by  nature,  by  choice, 
by  grace,  and  by  predestination  an  enthusiastic  and  to 
some  extent  a  vociferous  division  of  the  army  of  the 
Lord.  Hence  you  will  readily  see  that  it  is  well-nigh 
impossible  for  us  to  compress  into  a  bare  five  minutes 
one  tithe  of  the  good-will  we  feel  or  one  one-hundredth 
of  the  congratulations  your  great  church  deserves  for 
having  attained  with  such  signal  success  and  high  honor 
the  centennial  of  its  founding.  If  there  ever  was  a  time 
when  there  was  need  for  the  power  of  a  Joshua  to  cause 
the  sun  to  stand  still  and  the  moon  to  loiter  in  her  flight 
over  the  Valley  of  the  Cumberland,  it  is  tonight,  when  we 
of  other  churches  come  to  felicitate  you  upon  the  round- 
ing out  of  your  threescore  years  and  forty. 

I  do  not  presume  to  speak  for  these  other  brethren 
in  this  matter,  but  we  Methodists  feel  that  we  must  take 
our  own  medicine.  We  have  always  made  much  of  what 
we  call  our  time  limit,  and  even  to  this  day  some 
amongst  us  stoutly  maintain  that  it  is  one  of  the  best 
devices  ever  hit  upon  by  the  wisdom  of  the  fathers  for 

—SI— 


avoiding  any  embarrassment  arising  from  an  undue 
prolongation  of  ministerial  loquacity.  Are  we  to  infer, 
sir,  that  in  the  adoption  of  this  on  your  part  we  are  to 
find  one  more  bond  that  unites  the  spiritual  children  of 
John  Calvin  and  John  Wesley?  At  any  rate  we  salute 
you  and  yet  express  the  hope  that  by  the  time  the  next 
centennial  rolls  around  the  time  limit  will  have  been 
done  away  with  in  both  churches  and  we  shall  all  be 
allowed  to  work  and  talk  as  long  as  we  like ! 

First  of  all,  then,  we  bring  to  you  our  sincere  con- 
gratulations on  the  marvelous  numerical  growth  this 
church  has  had  during  its  lifetime  of  a  hundred  years. 
Time  and  time  again  have  we  read  the  statement  that 
it  was  a  little  band  of  seven  that  gathered  together  on 
that  never-to-be-forgotten  November  day  a  hundred 
years  ago  and  constituted  the  charter  group  of  this 
church,  which,  under  the  guiding  hand  of  God,  has 
grown  to  seventeen  or  eighteen  hundred  members.  Be- 
tween that  day  of  small  beginnings  and  this  day  of  large 
accomplishment  who  shall  enumerate  the  multiplied 
thousands  that  have  been  communicants  at  these  altars? 
Truly  their  name  is  legion  and  their  register  is  kept  in 
the  general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first  born  which' 
are  written  in  heaven ;  but  if  we  believe  in  the  apostolic 
article  with  regard  to  the  communion  of  saints  they,  too, 
are  here  tonight  sharing  in  our  joy  and  joining  in  our 
service.     But  they  have  joined 

"The  choir  Invisible 

Of  those  immortal  dead  who  live  again 

In  minds  made  better  by  their  presence." 

We  congratulate  you,  in  the  second  place,  on  the 
noble  band  of  leaders — the  Christian  preachers  and 
prophets  of  the  Lord  who  have  been  called  to  fill  this 
pulpit  during  the  century  that  has  gone.     Twelve  dif- 

—32— 


^ 


^^  ^ 


ROBT.    H.    McEWEX, 
Elder    1829- 1868.      Clerk  of   Session    for   Thirty-five   Years. 


ferent  pastors — thirteen  pastorates  in  all.  Of  these  ten 
have  passed  on  before — only  two  abide — one  like  Caleb 
— whose  career  was  so  cogently  set  before  us  yesterday, 
is  a  "come-back."  But  all  of  them  we  recognize  as  the 
gifts  of  the  ascended  Christ.  Some  were  apostles,  some 
prophets,  some  evangelists  and  some  teachers — all  gra- 
ciously given  for  the  perfecting  of  the  saints  unto  the 
work  of  ministration.  To  have  been  the  channel  through 
which  such  men  as  Campbell,  Hoyt,  Edgar,  Witherspoon 
and  others  of  like  mold,  should  deliver  their  message  to 
their  age,  is  an  honor  that  may  well  stir  the  heart  of  any 
church  to  honest  pride;  and  no  sister  church  is  worthy 
of  the  name  that  does  not  share  your  joy  in  the  noble  line 
of  leaders  you  have  had. 

But  we  Methodists  do  not  forget  that  you  are  Pres- 
byterians and  that  in  your  ecclesiastical  economy  the 
minister — no  matter  how  able  or  eloquent— is  not  by 
any  means  the  all  in  all  of  a  church's  leadership.  We 
call  to  mind  that  you,  in  line  with  all  Presbyterianism, 
have  made  a  distinct  contribution  to  the  democratiza- 
tion of  ecclesiasticism  in  the  emphasis  you  have  ever  put 
upon  lay  leadership.  We  congratulate  you,  therefore, 
upon  the  many  noble  laymen  who,  by  reason  of  member- 
ship in  or  official  relation  to  this  church,  have  lived 
lives  of  godliness  and  devotion  and  inspired  by  civic 
conscience  have  made  a  century-long  contribution  to  the 
Christianization  of  this  community  and  this  Common- 
wealth. 

We  congratulate  you  again  on  the  fact  that  for  a  full 
century  you  have  maintained  here  a  great  worshiping  and 
working  church  where  hundreds,  yea  multiplied  thou^ 
sands,  have  found  rest  from  their  labors,  light  and  lead- 
ing for  their  perplexities  and  salvation  from  their  sins. 
The  inscription  on  the  seal  of  your  church — Lux  lucet 
in  tenebris — is  to  us  most  significant.     For  here  on  this 

-33- 


much-frequented  corner,  where  whirl  and  rush  the  tides 
of  a  busy  city's  life,  you  stand,  where  you  have  stood  for 
a  hundred  years,  with  a  beacon  Hght  to  warn  men  from 
the  rocks  of  sin,  with  a  clarion  voice  to  call  them  to  their 
better  selves,  with  a  hand  of  strength  and  sympathy  to 
help  them  on  to  God. 

Finally,  brethren,  we  congratulate  you  upon  the 
spirit  of  progress,  of  fellowship  and  of  Christian  com- 
ity that  has  ever  characterized  this  church.  In  fact,  we 
Methodists,  along  with  other  evangelical  bodies  of  this 
community,  are  fast  coming  to  believe  that  we  are  well 
nigh  as  much  at  home  here  as  you  yourselves  are.  This 
attitude  we  have  arrived  at  through  no  arrogant  assump- 
tions on  our  part,  but  wholly  by  reason  of  that  insistent 
and  gracious  hospitality  on  your  part  which  has  made 
this  great  church  the  clearing  house  of  the  Christian  ac- 
tivities of  our  city.  It  is  here  that  we  have  met  and 
mingled  in  efforts  to  advance  cooperative  work  along 
all  lines — in  Student  Volunteer  Conventions,  in  Socio- 
logical Congresses,  in  the  great  Bible  Conference  of  a 
year  ago — in  all  these  gatherings,  and  many  more,  we 
have  come  to  know  and  profit  by  the  spirit  of  Christian 
cooperation  you  so  preeminently  exemplify. 

Arminians  though  we  be,  your  absolute  antipodes  in 
doctrinal  statement,  we  find  that  here  we  are  all  one  in 
Christ.  Therefore,  we  greet  you  in  the  name  of  our 
common  Lord  and  Master ;  we  greet  you  in  the  name  of 
the  common  task  that  summons  us  to  labor;  we  greet 
you  in  the  name  of  the  common  heritage  we  have  as 
children  of  illustrious  forbears ;  we  greet  you  in  the 
name  of  the  common  Spirit  whom  we  all  share  as  Guide, 
as  Comforter  and  as  Sanctifier.  We  Methodists  give  you 
our  glad  greeting  on  this  the  occasion  of  your  hundredth 
anniversary  and  pray  that  this  may  be  a  great  week  in 
your  career  as  a  church — a  week  when  the  splendid  his- 

-34- 


tory  of  a  century  with  all  its  momentum,  shall  be  gath- 
ered up  and  baptized  by  holy  memories,  and  consecrated 
faith  and  loving  sacrifice  shall  thrust  you  forth  into  new 
and  larger  fields  ripe  even  now  for  the  garnering  of  our 
God,  and  may  the  future  hold  for  you  a  far  more  glo- 
rious history  than  even  the  thrilling  story  of  your  past 
century  supplies. 


From  the  Disciples  of  Christ. 
By  Rev.  Carey  E.   Morgan,  D.D. 

I  read  with  peculiar  interest  Dr.  Vance's  centennial 
sermon  of  yesterday  morning.  It  will  not  be  out  of 
place,  I  think,  for  a  brother  minister  to  say  in  this  pulpit 
that  that  was  a  great  message  and  that  it  prepared  the 
whole  city  to  measure  more  accurately  the  significance  of 
this  centennial  week  to  you  and  to  all  of  us  who  believe 
in  our  Lord  and'  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 

I  have  come  over  to  rejoice  with  you  and  to  bear  to 
you  the  greetings  of  my  people.  We  are  a  few  years 
younger  than  you  and  have  church  fellowship  with  a 
far  younger  communion ;  but  I  hope  you  will  not  think 
it  presumptuous  when  I  say  that  we  hold  ourselves  to  be 
kinsmen  of  yours.  Our  fathers  were  Presbyterians ;  two 
of  them,  Thomas  and  Alexander  Campbell,  were  Scotch 
Presbyterians  and  were  educated  in  Scotch  Presbyterian 
universities.  Barton  W.  Stone,  whose  Christian  leader- 
ship laid  the  foundation  for  our  present  strength  in  the 
middle  country,  was  for  long  years  a  prince  in  your 
Israel.  We  have  the  blood  of  the  Covenanters  in  our 
veins.  I  myself  like  to  remember  that  the  roots  of  my 
own  faith,  through  my  ancestry,  were  nourished  in 
Scotch-fertilized  North  of  Ireland  soil. 

We  have  much  in  our  church  life  yet  that  shows  the 
influence  of  this  ancestry.     In  our  organization  of  the 

—35- 


local  congregation,  in  our  procedure  at  the  Lord's  table, 
in  our  order  of  worship,  in  our  thought  of  the  quiet 
movement  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  conversion,  in  our  em- 
phasis of  the  truth  of  the  gospel  in  its  relation  to  sal- 
vation, we  get  much  from  the  apostles  by  way  of  our 
Presbyterian  ancestry.  No  doubt  you  think  you  had 
still  other  things  from  the  apostles  that  we  did  not  ap- 
propriate, but  if  so  I  beg  you  to  believe  that  it  was  an 
oversight  and  not  intentional  on  our  part. 

I  know  something  of  the  influence  of  Presbyterian- 
ism  on  the  life  of  the  world,  and  the  world  would  have 
been  a  very  different  world  without  that  influence.  What 
a  terror  to  evildoers  among  kings  Presbyterianism  has 
been !  John  Calvin's  trumpet  call  to  the  world,  "God  is 
Sovereign,"  left  no  room  for  petty  human  tyrants  and 
stripped  off  more  crowns,  broke  into  pieces  more  scep- 
ters, shattered  down  more  thrones,  repealed  more  des- 
potic laws  and  gave  a  larger  impulse  to  human  freedom 
than  any  other  word  ever  spoken,  unless  it  was  that 
word  spoken  by  our  Lord  when  he  said,  "One  is  your 
Master  even  Christ,  and  all  ye  are  brethren."  Pres- 
byterianism, therefore,  has  helped,  not  only  to  set  up 
the  church  of  Christ  in  all  the  world,  but  it  has  helped 
to  write  the  history  of  freedom. 

I  congratulate  you  on  the  hundred  years  of  this  great 
church's  life,  and  I  trust  that  the  next  hundred  years 
will  be  crowded  even  fuller  of  blessings  for  you  and, 
through  you,  for  the  city  and  State  in  which  you  do 
your  work. 

From  the  Episcopalians. 
By  Rev.  H.  J.  Mikell,  D.D. 

It  is  a  great  happiness  to  bear  the  greetings  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  in  Nashville  to  this  First  Presbyterian 

-36- 


Church  on  the  occasion  of  its  one  hundredth  anniversary. 

This  church,  in  this  celebration,  is  Hke  the  wise  house- 
holder of  whom  our  Lord  speaks  who  "brought  out  of 
his  treasure  house  things  old  and  new." 

It  is  a  dull  and  stupid  mind  which  does  not  find  a 
fascination  in  things  old.  An  old,  faded,  shot-torn  ban- 
ner of  the  Southern  Stars  and  Bars — what  an  interest  it 
has,  how  precious  it  is,  because  it  tells  us  of  the  hopes 
and  fears,  the  passions  and  struggles,  the  sacrifices  and 
bravery  of  the  generations  of  our  fathers  which  have 
passed ! 

An  ancient  building — how  it  has  stood  as  the  feet  of 
many  passing  generations  have  gone  by  !  And  when  it  is 
a  Christian  church — how  it  has  spoken  in  the  midst  of  the 
changing  generations  of  man  of  something  ancient  and 
sublime  and  everlasting!  How  it  has  borne  witness  to 
the  truth  of  eternal  things,  in  the  midst  of  temporal 
things,  how  it  has  lifted  men's  minds  and  thoughts  to  the 
things  which  are  spiritual  but  real,  unseen  but  powerful 
and  pervading! 

But  what  a  fascination,  too,  in  things  new, — the 
new  age,  the  approach  of  a  new  day  bringing  to  man 
fresh  hopes  and  aspirations,  the  coming  of  the  unex- 
pected, the  promise  of  a  future  when  old  errors  shall 
die  and  old  sins  be  overcome,  and  men  shall  have  a  new 
strength  and  opportunity  in  life,  a  new  freedom,  a  real 
democracy ! 

But  if  things  old  are  splendid  with  traditions  and 
thoughts  of  the  past,  and  things  new  are  fine  with 
hopes  of  the  future,  how  precious  are  the  moments 
which  hold  them  both! 

Such  a  moment  is  this  anniversary,  which  looks  back 
into  the  past  and  forward  into  the  future. 

This  church  tonight  thinks  of  its  past,  the  lives  which 
it  has  hallowed,  the  fine  uplifting  service  which  it  has 

—37— 


451315 


done  for  the  community,  the  witness  it  has  borne  to  God 
and  truth;  how  it  has  stood  on  this  busy  corner,  with 
its  towers  pointed  to  Heaven,  bearing  witness  in  the 
midst  of  the  pursuit  of  the  material  to  the  truth  of  the 
eternal. 

But  you  will  not  be  tied  and  bound  to  the  past.  You 
heed  the  message  of  Maeterlinck  when  he  says,  "Let  us 
listen  only  to  the  experience  which  urges  us  on.  It  is 
always  higher  than  that  which  keeps  us  back.  Let  us 
reject  all  the  counsels  of  the  past  that  do  not  turn  us  to 
the  future." 

You  consecrate  yourselves  tonight  and  you  pledge 
your  church  to  newer  and  wider  usefulness  and  service 
for  the  coming  years  of  the  future,  for  you  stand  for 
that  which  alone  can  solve  the  problems  and  ease  the 
burden  of  the  future  years  of  humanity — the  power  of 
Christianity. 

We  do  not  believe  those  who  say  that  Christianity  has 
lost  its  power,  that  its  day  is  over,  that  we  need  some 
other  and  newer  gospel  to  answer  the  needs  of  the 
coming  years. 

So  far  is  that  from  being  true  that  we  believe  that  the 
full  power  of  our  religion  is  yet  to  come.  We  believe 
that  from  nowhere  else  will  come  the  wisdom  which  can 
solve  the  modern  problems  in  the  social  and  economic 
life,  that  nowhere  else  can  be  found  the  power  to  cleanse 
and  purify  the  family  and  the  individual  life ;  that  in 
nothing  else,  save  the  Christian  religion,  can  be  found  a 
sure  foundation  on  which  we  can  build  the  character  of 
our  children.  We  believe  that  just  as  they  brought  all 
their  puzzling  questions  to  Christ  when  He  was  on  the 
earth,  men  will  still  come  to  Him  for  strength  and 
guidance  and  peace  from  the  strife  of  the  passions. 

With  loyalty  to  the  old  truths  of  Christ's  religion 
-38- 


you  will  translate  them  into  the  work  of  the  present  and 
the  fulfillment  of  the  promise  of  the  future. 

You  will  not,  like  the  magician  in  the  tale  of  Aladdin, 
give  up  new  lamps  for  old,  but  you  will  take  the  old 
lamps  and  use  them  to  guide  men's  feet  into  new  paths 
of  usefulness  to  their  fellowmen. 

So  I  bear  my  greetings:  "The  Lord  prosper  you. 
We  wish  you  good  luck  in  the  name  of  the  Lord." 


From  the  Northern  Presbyterians. 
By  Rev.  T.  A.  Wigginton,  D.D. 

It  is  seldom  that  an  individual  lives  to  celebrate  the 
one  hundredth  anniversary  of  his  birth.  And  even  in 
those  very  rare  cases  where  such  a  celebration  is  pos- 
sible the  friends  who  gather  in  honor  of  the  occasion 
are  more  impressed  with  the  long  life  and  past  achieve- 
ments of  the  centenarian  than  with  his  future  possi- 
bilities. The  same  thing  is  to  be  observed  as  to  the  life 
of  the  ordinary  organizations  through  which  the  indus- 
trial and  social  life  of  a  people  finds  expression.  You  will 
find  very  few  business  or  social  organizations  in  this  city 
the  activities  of  which  cover  a  century.  And  yet  we  are 
celebrating  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  an  institu- 
tion which  has  ministered  to  the  best  things  in  the  life 
of  the  city  for  one  hundred  years,  and  which  is  now 
stronger  for  that  ministry  than  ever  before  in  its  his- 
tory. 

Observations  like  these  compel  us  to  consider  the 
things  which  give  to  the  church  this  unique  perma- 
nence and  power.  Ideally,  the  church  is  coextensive 
with  the  kingdom  of  God.    The  kingdom  of  God  and  the 

-39- 


equivalent  phrase,  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  often  have 
the  same  meaning  as  the  church  in  New  Testament 
usage.  All  these  terms  refer  to  the  same  spiritual  order 
in  which  the  chief  aim  is  the  doing  of  God's  will  and  the 
realization  of  his  ideals  in  human  society.  The  kingdom 
was  the  original  conception,  but  in  the  development  of 
Christianity  the  church  emerged  as  the  social  organiza- 
tion through  which  it  was  sought  to  give  practical  effect- 
iveness to  the  ideals  of  the  kingdom. 

Practically,  the  church  is  the  social  organization  of 
the  kingdom.  Or,  perhaps  it  would  be  more  exact  to 
say,  that  it  is  the  social  organization  which  seeks  to  em- 
body and  advance  the  principles  of  the  kingdom.  The 
kingdom  is  the  end  to  which  the  church  is  the  means. 
Perhaps  the  greatest  value  of  this  social  organization 
in  the  interest  of  the  kingdom  is  to  be  seen  in  the  per- 
manence which  it  guarantees  for  the  ideals  of  the  king- 
dom. Individuals  come  and  go,  but  the  organization 
abides.  Great  leaders  arise,  fulfill  their  missions  and 
pass  away,  but  through  the  influence  which  they  have 
been  able  to  exert  upon  the  church  a  new  generation  has 
been  trained  to  take  up  the  work  and  carry  it  forward. 
During  this  week  of  celebration  you  will  consider  some 
truly  great  leaders  who  have  long  since  passed  to  their 
reward,  but  the  influence  of  whose  lives,  conserved  in 
this  organization  to  which  and  through  which  they 
ministered,  abides  in  continued  blessing  upon  this  city, 
and  reaches  even  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  world. 
It  was  some  such  conception  as  this  which  moved  the 
apostle  Paul  to  say  to  the  Corinthians,  "All  things  are 
yours ;  whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or  Cephas,  or  the 
world,  or  life,  or  death,  or  things  present,  or  things  to 
come ;  all  are  yours ;  and  ye  are  Christ's,  and  Christ  is 
God's."  It  is  the  permanence  which  is  thus  given  to  the 
ideals  of  the  kingdom  which  enables  us  to  think  of  the 

-40- 


Ri:v. 


JuHX   Todd  Edciar, 
Pastor    1833-1860. 


D.l). 


church  as  "the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth,"  and  in- 
spires us  to  sing: 

"O  where  are  the  kings  and  empires  now 

Of  old  that  went  and  came  ? 
But,  Lord,  thy  church  is  praying  yet, 

A  thousand  years  the  same. 

We  mark  her  goodly  battlements, 

And  her  foundations  strong; 
We  hear  within  the  solemn  voice 

Of  her  unending  song." 

As  one  of  the  pastors  of  the  city  I  congratulate  you 
upon  the  accomplishment  of  a  century  of  worthy  service, 
and  wish  for  you  increasing  strength  and  vigor  until 
the  kingdom  shall  have  come.  As  the  representative  of 
a  nation-wide  Presbyterian  Church,  many  members  of 
which  in  distant  States  acknowledge  their  debt  of  obli- 
gation for  the  ministry  of  this  congregation,  I  bring  you 
heartiest  congratulations  for  your  past  history  and 
service,  together  with  the  wish  that  these  may  be  the 
earnest  of  an  increasing  power  and  influence  until  we  are 
all  one,  even  as  God  and  Christ  are  one. 


From  the  Baptists. 
By  Rev.  Rufus  W.  Weaver,  D.D. 

Brethren  and  Sisters  of  tbe  First  Presbyterian  Church: 
We  rejoice  that  our  First  Church  is  now  celebrating  its  one 
hundredth  anniversary.  Speaking  for  the  body  of  Chris- 
tians who  bear  the  name  of  Baptists,  I  use  the  possessive 
pronoun  "our"  advisedly.  This  is  our  First  Church  as  well 
as  yours,  for  we  are  all  Calvinists.  It  is  true  that  you  bear 
the  honored  name  of  Presbyterian,  while  we  are  called  Bap- 
tists, but  these  are  our  ecclesiastical  names ;  theologically 

-41- 


we  are  Calvinists.  Therefore,  we  share  your  joy  that  the 
oldest  church  in  this  city  is  a  Calvinist  church  and  that  you 
lead  not  only  in  length  of  years,  but  also  in  power,  influence 
and  all  that  goes  to  make  efficiency  in  Christian  service. 

The  great  epochs  in  the  history  of  Christian  faith  have 
been  those  periods  when  the  teachings  of  Paul  have  re- 
ceived new  emphasis  and  interpretation.  Through  the  ap- 
pearance of  some  mighty  spirit,  who  again  has  interpreted 
the  thouglit  and  experience  of  the  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles, 
each  successive  age  has  felt  the  thrill  and  the  meaning  of 
the  distinctive  Christian  experience  which  comes  only 
through  a  personal  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  as  Saviour  and 
Lord.  The  realization  of  the  sovereignty  of  God,  the  ineffa- 
ble joy  arising  out  of  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  the  sense 
of  gratitude  as  sinners  saved  by  divine  grace  come  to  ap- 
preciate the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin,  gazing  with  ador- 
ing love  upon  the  suffering  of  our  Saviour  on  Calvary — these 
are  the  basal  ideas  in  the  system  of  thought  called  Calvin- 
ism. 

The  most  consistent  and  in  many  ways  the  most  im- 
portant theological  document  produced  by  the  English- 
speaking  people  is  the  Westminster  Confession  of  Faith. 
For  this  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Nashville  has 
stood  for  the  past  one  hundred  years.  However,  all  Cal- 
vinists do  not  find  this  document  to  be  a  full  and  accurate 
expression  of  their  doctrinal  views.  The  fact  is,  there  are 
Calvinists  and  Calvinists.  There  are  those  who  have  stood 
with  unfaltering  loyalty  by  the  standards  of  the  seventeenth 
century.  Then  there  are  those  who  have  been  less  con- 
servative and  less  afraid  of  revision.  My  sympathies  are 
with  the  latter.  I  stand  for  a  Calvinism  revised,  enriched, 
improved,  amended  and  brought  down  to  date.  Often  Cal- 
vinism is  dry ;  indeed,  sometimes,  like  the  bones  of  the  val- 
ley in  the  vision  of  Ezekiel,  it  is  very,  very  dry.  I  believe 
in   a   Calvinism  properly   irrigated.     Now   do  not   under- 

—42— 


stand  me  to  be  introducing  a  vexed  question  upon  which 
we  differ.  I  am  not  speaking  of  the  amount  of  water  re- 
quired or  the  mode  of  its  application  in  the  ordinance  of 
baptism.  I  have  in  mind  the  emotional  element  in  re- 
ligion. We  Calvinists  are  inclined  to  emphasize  unduly  the 
intellectual  aspects  of  both  religion  and  philosophy.  Cal- 
vinism always  needs  the  fertilizing  and  fructifying  power 
of  a  deep  emotional  experience,  for  Calvinism  is  never  true 
to  itself  without  the  presence  of  this  experience.  The  peril 
which  thouglitful  Calvinists  constantly  face  is  the  possession 
of  an  orthodoxy  of  creed  and  an  orthopraxy  of  conduct 
without  the  "orthopathy"  of  the  Christian  life. 

The  splendid  achievements  of  this  historic  church,  the 
long  roll  of  consecrated  and  distinguished  divines  who  have 
ministered  to  this  congregation,  the  constant  increase  to  its 
membership  upon  a  profession  of  personal  faith  in  Christ, 
the  generous  gifts  of  your  members  which  have  gained  for 
this  church  the  first  place  among  Southern  Presbyterians 
in  missionary  offerings,  are  sufficient  evidence  that  what- 
ever may  be  true  elsewhere,  here  clearness  of  thinking  re- 
garding revealed  truth  is  linked  to  the  faithful  translation 
of  that  truth  into  devout  Christian  living. 

My  enjoyment  tonight  is  increased  by  the  fact  that 
being  under  many  obligations  to  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  in  the  United  States,  this  occasion  offers  me 
the  opportunity  to  express  my  appreciation  and  my  gratitude 
for  what  I  have  received.  I  was  rocked  in  a  Presbyterian 
cradle,  though  later  I  did  crawl  out,  my  Baptist  father  as- 
sisting in  this  laudable  or  disgraceful  proceeding,  the 
proper  adjective  depending  upon  your  point  of  view.  My 
first  playmate  was  my  Presbyterian  grandfather,  who  stood 
between  me  and  many  a  merited  punishment.  When  in  later 
years  I  sought  to  secure  a  collegiate  and  theological  train- 
ing, a  corporation  was  formed  bearing  the  name  of  ''The 
Rufus  W.  Weaver  Mind  Improvement  Company,"  a  Pres- 

-43- 


byterian  lawyer  drew  up  the  document,  and  two-thirds  of 
the  stockholders  were  Presbyterians  When  death  robbed 
me  of  those  most  dear,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  who  has 
been  to  me  both  friend  and  pastor,  Dr.  Egbert  W.  Smith, 
participated  in  the  funeral  services.  What  I  am  I  owe  to 
my  sainted  Presbyterian  mother,  whose  prayers  first  awoke 
in  my  heart  a  sense  of  the  need  of  a  Saviour,  and  whose 
beautiful  Christian  endurance  under  trial  will  always  be  to 
me  the  noblest  exhibition  of  Christian  faith  I  have  ever 
known. 

These  are  some  of  the  reasons  for  my  rejoicing  in  the 
success  of  Presbyterianism,  and  they  enable  me  to  share 
your  satisfaction  as  you  review  the  splendid  spiritual  achieve- 
ments of  this  historic  church,  which  for  a  century,  keeping 
step  with  the  progress  of  events,  has  been  able  to  set  forth 
and  to  illustrate  the  best  in  Presbyterianism.  My  rejoicing 
is  increased  by  the  high  regard  I  have  for  your  honored 
and   distinguished   pastor. 

I  congratulate  you  as  you  begin  the  second  century 
upon  your  past,  so  glorious  and  inspiring;  I  congratulate 
you  upon  all  that  the  future  promises  of  opportunity  for 
greater  sacrifice  and  ever-widening  influence.  The  God 
of  our  fathers  has  been  with  you ;  may  He  ever  be  with 
you  and  with  your  children  and  your  children's  children 
"all  the  days  even  unto  the  end  of  the  age." 


From  the  Hebrews. 
By  Rabbi  I.  Lewinthal. 

It  is  with  sincere  pleasure  that  I  extend  to  you.  Dr. 
Vance,  and  your  church  greetings,  not  alone  from  the 
Vine  Street  Temple  congregation,  but  from  the  Jews 
at  large  in  this  city.  You  and  your  church  have  been 
a  great  power   for  good  in  this  community  and  have 

—44— 


taken  the  leading  part  in  all  great  movements,  civic  as 
well  as  religious. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  various  sects  and  creeds 
always  emphasize  their  differences,  but  never  their 
agreements.  Truly  the  ethics  underlying  religion  of 
both  Protestants  and  Jews  are  identical.  We  read  the 
same  Psalms;  the  utterances  of  the  prophets  stir  all 
of  us ;  all  must  heed  and  obey  the  Decalogue.  Now,  we 
all  agree  that  religion  asserts  the  Fatherhood  of  God, 
but  forget  emphatically  that  it  teaches  also  the  brother- 
hood of  man,  a  lesson  we  have  yet  to  learn.  But  pray 
let  us  not  learn  it  in  the  same  manner  we  have  learned 
the  Fatherhood  of  God;  let  us  not  learn  to  love  one 
another  through  hatred  and  persecution.  Let  us  not  use 
theology  as  a  text-book  for  this  great  lesson.  Let  us 
use  the  heart  of  man,  and  we  shall  find  that  the  ties 
which  bind  us  to  each  other  are  more  numerous  than 
the  dogmas  and  tenets  which  separate  us.  Let  us  read 
the  heart  of  man,  and  we  shall  find  that  greater  than  all 
the  dogmas  and  creeds  are  friendship,  love  and  liberty. 
Let  us  read  the  heart  of  man,  and  we  shall  find  therein 
an  aspiration  common  to  us  all ;  to  become  more  human, 
to  grow  more  divine. 

We  do  not  and  perhaps  cannot  all  agree  upon  the 
same  methods,  nor  is  it  necessary  that  we  should,  even 
for  the  sake  of  fellowship.  In  the  description  of  the 
ideal  peace  the  prophet  Isaiah  uses  the  following  figure 
of  speech,  "And  the  wolf  shall  be  with  the  lamb,  and 
the  leopard  shall  lie  down  with  the  kid,  and  the  calf  and 
the  young  lion  together."  The  prophet  does  not  mean 
that  these  animals  will  yield  up  their  respective  identities, 
but  that  they  will  leave  their  beastly  nature,  so  that 
perfect  peace  will  reign  among  them.  Even  so  is  it  pos- 
sible, with  all  our  dififerences  in  thought  and  ideas,  to 
create  an  era  of  peace  and  fellowship:     "When  nation 

-45- 


will  not  lift  up  sword  against  nation,"  when  they  will  not 
hurt  or  destroy  one  another,  when  all  hatred  and  per- 
secution will  be  consumed  by  the  fires  of  love,  when  man 
will  recognize  in  his  fellowmau  a  brother,  when  all 
nations  will  walk  together  in  peace  on  that  highway 
which  leads  to  the  mountain  of  God.  Not  that  the  Jew 
will  become  Christianized,  nor  the  Christian  Judaized, 
but  that  we  shall  all  become  humanized  and  learn  to  un- 
derstand, to  respect  and  to  love  one  another. 


From   the   Roman    Catholics. 
By  Bishop  Byrne. 

October  20,  1914. 
Rev.  James  I.  Vance,  D.D.,  Pastor  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  Nashville,  Tennessee. 

My  Dear  Dr.  Vance:  I  beg  to  acknowledge  your 
esteemed  favor  of  October  19,  informing  me  that  from 
November  8  to  15  will  be  celebrated  the  hundredth  anni- 
versary of  the  organization  of  the  church  of  which  you 
are  pastor. 

I  avail  myself  of  the  opportunity  to  congratulate  both 
you  and  your  congregation  on  the  auspicious  event  and 
on  the  great  good  your  church  has  done  during  this  cen- 
tury of  its  existence,  and  to  express  the  hope  that  during 
the  second  century  of  its  activity,  upon  which  it  is  just 
about  to  enter,  it  may  be  still  more  fruitful  in  good 
works. 

I  regret  that  circumstances  will  not  permit  me  to  be 
present  on  the  evening  of  November  9  to  express  to  your 
people  the  high  esteem  I  entertain  for  them,  and  to 
offer  to  yourself,  in  the  responsible  duties  that  rest  upon 
you,  my  hearty  good  wishes  and  fervent  Godspeed. 
I  am,  my  dear  Dr.  Vance, 

Very  cordially  yours  in  Christ, 

Thomas  Sebastian  Byrne, 

Bishop  of  Nashville. 
-46- 


CHAPTER  IV. 


HISTORY  OF  THE   FIRST   PRESBYTERIAN 
CHURCH. 

By  William  E.  Beard. 

The  seeds  of  Presbyterianism  were  sown  here  first  by 
Rev.  Thomas  Craighead,  a  North  Carolinian,  and  a  grad- 
uate of  Nassau  Hall,  Princeton,  in  the  class  of  1775.  One 
Saturday  afternoon  early  in  1785,  Mr.  Craighead  arrived  at 
the  settlement  on  the  Cumberland.  His  labors  as  preacher 
began  at  once.  The  following  day  he  mounted  a  stump 
and  preached  the  first  sermon.  During  the  year  he  located 
himself  at  old  Hlaysboro,  in  this  county,  an  early  town  whose 
site  is  now  marked  only  by  a  cemetery.  The  citizens  there 
built  him  a  neat  stone  church,  and  on  September  25,  1786. 
the  trustees  of  Davidson  Academy  ordered  school  taught 
there.  He  was  the  first  teacher.  Thisi  stone  meeting  house 
was  "the  cradle  of  the  University  of  Nashville."  Mr. 
Craighead  preached  there  regularly  for  nearly  thirty  years, 
though  after  1810  he  was  at  war  with  his  presbytery  about 
his  views,  the  conflict  not  being  settled  until  near  his  death 
on  September  11,  1824.  The  pioneer  sleeps  peacefully  in  the 
old  churchyard  by  the  side  of  his  faithful  helpmeet. 

REV.    WILLIAM     HUME. 

The  next  minister  having  a  place  in  the  history  of  this 
church  to  reach  the  Cumberland  settlement  was  Dr.  Wil- 
liam Hume,  who  was  born  in  Edinburgh,  August  15,  1770. 
The  young  Scotchman  was  studiously  pursuing  his  course 
at  the  University  of  Edinburgh  and  had  almost  completed 
it,  when  one  day  he  was  summoned  by  the  faculty  to  hear 
the  news  that  he  had  been  appointed  a  missionary  to  Ten- 

-47- 


nessee.  After  prayerful  consideration  of  the  call,  he  ac- 
cepted. Included  in  the  modest  amount  of  baggage  with 
which  he  undertook  the  long  voyage  over  seas  was  a  Scotch 
cheese,  a  reminder  of  home  from  a  friendly  Scotchman  to 
a  settler  in  Kentucky.  The  young  traveler's  means  were 
very  limited,  so  limited  that  when  the  New  York  Custom- 
house officers  demanded  duty  on  the  Scotch  cheese  the 
preacher  could  not  meet  it.  The  captain  suggested  that  he 
might  escape  the  duty  by  declaring  the  cheese  was  a  part 
of  his  provisions,  but  Mr.  Hume  would  not  consent  to  this. 
Regretfully,  he  left  the  cheese  with  the  officers. 

On  December  2,  1801,  Mr.  Hume  became  pastor  of  a 
small  circle  of  Scotch  Seceders  here.  This  church  building 
was  one  of  Nashville's  first  houses  of  worship.  The  Pres- 
byterians among  the  settlers,  who  were  pastorless,  often 
enjoyed  the  privilege  of  his  preaching  in  that  house.  In 
181 8  he  united  with  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  the  re- 
maining members  of  his  flock  of  seceders  followed  him.  In 
his  new  connection  he  labored  devotedly  some  fifteen  years, 
often  filling  the  pulpit  of  the  First  Church  when  it  was 
vacant.  His  name  is  frequently  encountered  in  the  annals 
of  early  Nashville.  He  died  May  22,  1833,  and  Nashville 
citizens  erected  a  monument  to  commemorate  "his  virtues 
and  his  active  goodness." 

CHURCH     ORGANIZED. 

What  is  known  as  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  was 
organized  at  the  courthouse  November  14,  1814.  There  is 
some  question  about  the  exact  date,  for  the  records  were  all 
destroyed  when  the  original  church  was  burned  in  1832. 
The  date  given  is  that  suggested  nearly  fifty  years  ago  by 
one  of  the  first  members,  Mrs.  M.  L.  Bybee,  of  Memphis, 
formerly  Mrs.  Patton  Anderson,  of  Nashville.  At  that  time 
Mrs.  Bybee's  recollection  was  substantiated  by  other  wit- 
nesses to  the  event. 

The  church  was  organized  by  Rev.  Gideon  Blackburn, 

-48- 


^ 


A.   W.    Putnam, 

Elder    1839-1869.      Commissioner   to   the    First    General    Assembly   of   the 
Presbyterian   Church   in   the   United    States. 


assisted  by  Rev.  Robert  Henderson,  of  Murfreesboro,  with 
a  membership  of  seven — six  women  and  one  man.  The 
church  could  do  no  more  appropriate  act  than  to  engrave 
upon  its  walls  their  goodly  names,  and  particularly  that  of 
the  solitary  male  member.  It  is  easily  discerned  that  the 
men  of  early  Nashville  were  not  churchmen,  most  of  them 
probably  were  more  concerned  with  the  question  of  whether 
General  Jackson  could  produce  a  race  horse  to  beat  Haynie's 
Maria  than  with  church  matters,  and  it  must  have  required 
some  moral  hardihood  on  the  part  of  Robert  Smiley  to  be- 
come a  charter  member  of  an  organization  in  which  women, 
and  not  men,  were  so  everwhelmingly  emphasized.  He 
became  the  church's  first  ruling  elder  and  continued  as  such 
until  his  death,  in  1823. 

The  ladies  associated  with  Mr.  Smiley  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  church  were  Mrs.  Andrew  Ewing,  Mrs.  Mary 
McNairy,  wife  of  Frank  McNairy,  Sr. ;  Mrs.  Josiah 
NichoV  Mrs.  Ruth  Greer  Talbot-  and  her  daughter,  Sophia 
Western  Hall,  wife  of  Elihu  S.  Hall,  and  Mrs.  Margaret  L. 
Anderson,  wife  of  Col.  Patton  Anderson,  of  the  United 
States  Army. 

STIRRING  TIMES. 

Nashville  just  then  was  already  making  strides  forward 
as  a  city;  the  first  steamboat  and  a  steam  flour  mill  were 
only  three  or  four  years  in  the  future.  It  was  the  capital 
city  of  Tennessee.  But  all  of  those  great  achievements 
which  have  given  Tennessee  a  high  place  in  the  national 
firmament  were  yet  to  be  enacted.  One  of  them  was  just 
then  being  staged.     The  day  before  the  little  church  was 


^A  half  of  pew  No.  82  is  held  by  Maj.  E.  C.  Lewis  and  occupied 
by  his  children,  who  are  descendants  in  the  fifth  generation  of 
Mrs.  Josiah  Nichol,  the  original  holder  of  the  pew  of  that  number. 

'Mrs.  Talbot  was  the  wife  of  Thomas  Talbot,  a  pioneer  hotel 
proprietor  in  Nashville.  On  September  29,  1806,  a  dinner  was 
given  at  the  Talbot  tavern,  of  which  Aaron  Burr  was  the  guest  of 
honor;  "at  which,"  according  to  the  Impartial  Rcvienf  of  October  4, 
"were  convened  many  of  the  most  respectable  citizens  of  Nashville 
and  its  vicinity." 

-49- 


org-anized  General  William  Carroll's  division^  of  Tennes- 
seans  mustered  here  preparatory  to  voyaging  down  the 
waters  to  New  Orleans  to  bear  the  brunt  o£  the  fighting  in 
Jackson's  "almost  incredible  victory"  on  January  8.  That 
the  homespun  heroes  who  tramped  Nashville's  streets  on 
November  14,  1814,  received  a  benediction  at  that  modest 
church  founding  is  very  likely,  for  Parson  Blackbuirn  had 
been  chaplain  of  Colonel  Cannon's  regiment  in  the  Creek 
war  and  had  exerted  his  influence  and  his  fervid  eloquence 
to  prevent  the  disintegration  of  Jackson's  army  in  the  In- 
dian country. 

Mr.  Blackburn  was  the  church's  first  pastor,  though 
never  formally  installed.  His  services  continued  until  some 
time  in  the  year  1818.  Born  in  Augusta  County,  Virginia, 
August  2^,  1772,  he  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Abingdon  in  1792,  and  taking  his  Bible  and  hymn 
book  in  one  hand  and  his  rifle  in  the  other,  set  ofif  like  some 
John  the  Baptist  to  spread  the  gospel  in  the  wilderness.  It 
was  while  living  in  Franklin,  Tenn.,  where  he  also  founded 
a  church,  that  he  organized  this  church.  When  he  retired 
as  pastor  the  congregation  boasted  forty-five  members, 
though  only  two  or  three  of  them  were  men. 

Among  the  new  members  were:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George 
Martin,  Mrs.  Joseph  Coleman,  Mrs.  Catherine  Stout,  Mrs. 
Martha  Childress,  Mrs.  Catherine  Robinson,  Mrs.  Jesse 
Wharton,  Mrs.  Felix  Grundy,  Mrs.  Randal  McGavock, 
Mrs.  Alpha  Kingsley,  Mrs.  Robert  Armstrong,  Mrs.  Alex 
Porter,  Mrs.  Harriet  McLaughlin,  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Richard- 
son, Mrs.  Ellen  Kirkman,  Mrs.  Anna  M.  Carroll,  Mrs 
John  Baird,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Calvin  Jackson,  Mrs.  Michael  C. 
Dunn,  Mrs.  Margaret  Tannehill  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Glenn. 


'Gen.  Carroll's  brigade  commanders  were :  First  Brigade,  Thos. 
Coulter ;  Second,  Bird  Smith,  who  died  at  New  Orleans.  The 
colonels  were:  First  Regiment.  Wm.  Metcalf;  Second,  John  Cocke; 
Third,  James  Raulston ;  Fourth,  Samuel  Bayless ;  Fifth,  Edwin  E. 
Booth.  Lieut.  Col.  James  Henderson,  of  the  First  Regiment,  was 
killed  in  the  action  of  December  28.  1814.  He  was  from  Rutherford 
County. 

-50- 


MRS.    RACHEL   JACKSON. 

The  name  of  Mrs.  Rachel  Jackson  rightfully  belongs 
to  the  list  brought  into  the  Presbyterian  Church  by  Rev- 
Gideon  Blackburn.!  In  her  very  religious  letters  written 
to  her  friend  back  home,  Mrs.  Eliza  Kingsley,  while  she 
was  wiith  her  illustrious  husband  in  the  Territory  of  Flor- 
ida, Mrs.  Jackson  says:  "Say  to  my  father  in  the  gospel- 
Parson  Blackburn— I  shall  always  love  him  as  such.  Often 
I  have  blessed  the  Lord  that  I  was  permitted  to  be  called 
under  his  ministry." 

Mrs.  Jackson's  simple  piety  could  be  but  a  reflection 
of  the  profound  spirituality  with  which  Parson  Blackburn 
had  impressed  his  flock ;  a  spirituality  developed  in  the  years 
when  day  in  and  day  out  he  risked  his  life  to  speak  the 
Word,  preaching  at  times  with  a  rifle  at  his  feet,  with  armed 
men  in  a  ring  round  the  women  and  children. 

As  pastor  here  his  sermons,  at  least  sometimes,  were 
inordinately  long.  It  is  related  that  on  one  occasion  Gov- 
ernor Carroll  met  Felix  Grundy  as  the  congregation  was 
leaving  our  first  meeting  house  and  asked  him  how  he  had 
stood  the  long  sermon.  Mr.  Blackburn  had  preached  for 
three  hours  and  a  half  on  "What  Shall  It  Profit  a  Man?" 

The  length  of  the  sermon  may  sound  oppressive  now,  but 
Felix  Grundy  paid  this  tribute  to  it :  "I  could  have  stood 
it  till  12  o'clock  at  night  if  he  had  continued." 

During  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Mr.  Blackburn  the  first 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Nashville  was  completed  sufficiently 
to  occupy.  This  building  was  commenced  in  1812,  and 
although  unfinished,  was  used  by  the  congregation  for 
services  in  the  fall  of  1816.  It  was  erected  by  a  general 
subscription  from  citizens,  and  although  under  the  control 
of  the  Presbyterians,  when  not  in  use  by  them  it  was  open 

'A   tablet   to    Dr.    Blackburn   was    unveiled    at    Franklin    Tenn 
April  26,    191 1,   under  the  auspices  of  the   Old   Glory  Chapter    d' 
A    R.     Dr.  J.  H.  McNeilly,  of  Nashville,  made  a  talk  on  Gideon 
Blackburn. 

-51- 


to  other  denominations.  It  occupied  this  same  corner,  the 
ground  to  which  was  deeded  on  May  i,  1823,  by  Randal  Mc- 
Gavock  to  Robert  Smiley,  Nathaniel  A.  McNairy,^  William 
M.  Berryhill,  John  Wright  and  David  Erwin,  Trustees,  for 
and  in  consideration  of  the  sum  of  $750  and  for  "other  con- 
siderations" not  mentioned  in  the  deed. 

ORIGINAL  CHURCH   BUILDING. 

This  church  building,  described  as  "a.  spacious  and  com- 
modious edifice,"  fronted  on  Summer  Street,  though  the 
entrance  was  first  on  Church  Street.  It  had  a  bell  tower^ 
but  no  basement.  The  seating  capacity  was  400.  The  pulpit 
in  Dr.  Blackburn's  time  was  in  the  south  end,  high  up  on  the 
wall.  Early  in  the  pastorate  of  Dr.  Allan  Ditchfield  Camp- 
bell, the  second  pastor,  the  church  house  was  completed.  The 
entrance  was  changed  to  the  Summer  Street  side  and  the 
pulpit  placed  on  the  east  side  of  the  building.  On  the  night 
of  January  29,  1832,^  between  11  and  12  o'clock,  fire  broke 
out  in  the  south  end  of  the  building.  It  was  checked  for  a 
time,  but  the  city  fire  engine  was  not  well  supplied  with 
water  and  in  the  end  the  meeting  house  was  destroyed. 
Duncan  Robertson*  saved  a  hymn  book  and  the  Bible,  which 
was  all  that  was  saved. 

Dr.   Campbell's  pastorate  began  in   1820,  the  pulpit  in 


"On  March  i,  1806,  N.  A.  McNairy  met  Gen.  John  Coffee  on 
the  field  of  honor.  The  meeting  grew  out  of  the  Jackson-Dickinson 
controversy,  which  ended  in  a  duel  fatal  to  Dickinson.  The  writer 
is  of  the  opinion  that  this  was  the  same  N.  A.  McNairy  who  was 
elected  an  elder  in  1824  and  continued  as  such  until  his  death, 
September  7,  1851. 

^At  the  time  the  church  burned  there  was  on  the  ground  snow, 
three  or  four  inches  in  depth,  which  protected  the  adjoining  prop- 
erty. 

'Duncan  Robertson,  known  in  the  annals  of  Nashville  as  the 
best  man  that  ever  lived  in  Nashville,  died  May  i,  1833.  On  page 
57  of  the  Bunting  history  of  the  church  it  is  suggested  that  Mrs. 
Robertson  was  a  Presbyterian.  Duncan  Robertson's  name  does  not 
appear  on  the  rolls  of  this  church,  however.  Among  other  honors 
claimed  for  Dimcan  Robertson  is  that  of  being  captain  of  Nash- 
ville's first  fire-fighting  organization. 

-52— 


the  interim  between  Dr.  Blackiborn's  departure  and  his  com- 
ing being  suppHed  by  Rev.  William  Hume.  Dr.  Camp- 
bell was  a  native  of  Lancashire,  England,  coming  to  this 
country  early  in  life.  He  came  here  from  Pennsylvania, 
and  after  nearly  seven  years'  service  returned  to  that  State. 
He  died  near  Pittsburgh,  September  20,  1861. 

Dr.  Campbell's  pastorate  is  notable  as  marking  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Sunday  school  as  an  adjimct  to  the  church's 
work.  Dr.  Campbell's  part  consisted  in  relaxing  the  min- 
isterial frown  toward  this  phase  of  religious  endeavor, 
which  in  its  infancy  here  was  regarded  as  an  outrageous 
desecration  of  the  Sabbath. 

FIRST   SUNDAY   SCHOOL. 

But  it  was  in  the  great  heart  of  a  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  that  the  Sunday  school  of  this  church — 
of  all  the  churches  in  Nashville — had  birth.  Again  the 
honor  goes  to  the  women,  for  the  mother  of  the  Sunday 
school  in  Nashville  was  Mrs.  Ann  Phillips  Grundy,  wife  of 
Felix  Grundy,  a  name  still  a  household  word  in  Tennessee, 
though  he  has  been  dead  nearly  seventy-five  years.^ 

This  first  Sunday  school  was  held  on  the  first  Sunday 
in  July,  1820,  the  place  being  a  small  frame  house  in  the 
rear  of  the  site  of  McKendree — windowless  and  dilapi- 
dated. The  school  was  undenominational.  Present  that 
day  were:  Mrs.  Grundy,  who  had  done  the  planning; 
Nathan  Ewing,  Mildred  Moore,  Samuel  P.  Ament  and  fif- 
teen little  beneficiaries.  The  books  used  were  the  New 
Testament  and  the  Webster  spelling  book. 

The  school  had  a  hard  time.  The  promoters  were  her- 
alded as  disturbers  of  the  peace,  whose  activities  should  not 
be  countenanced.    At  one  time  in  this  period  of  intolerance 


^Before  removing  to  Tennessee,  Felix  Grundy  was  Chief  Justice 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Kentucky.  An  advertisement  in  the 
Impartial  Review  of  January  7.  1808,  announces  that  FeHx  Grundy 
has  arrived  in  Nashville  to  make  his  home  here. 

-53- 


at  least  one  house  of  worship  in  this  city  was  thus  pla- 
carded : 

"No  desecration  of  the  holy  Sabbath  by  teaching  on  the 
Sabbath  in  this  church." 

The  institutional  waif  flourished  notwithstanding.  By 
the  time  spring  had  come  in  1822  it  had  so  far  won  its  way 
that  through  the  influence  of  Dr.  Campbell  and  Dr.  Thomas 
Maddin.  of  the  Methodist  Church — McKendree — its  value 
as  a  part  of  the  church  organization  received  recognition. 
About  the  first  of  November  the  different  churches  organ- 
ized schools  of  their  own.  At  the  end  of  our  past  church 
year  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  Sunday  school  mus- 
tered 677  members. 

Rev.  Obadiah  Jennings,  of  Washington,  Pa.,  who  had 
begun  life  as  a  lawyer,  but  turned  to  the  ministry  in  181 7, 
became  Dr.  Campbell's  successor  in  the  pastorate.  Before 
coming  to  Nashville  in  1828  his  health  had  been  seriously 
impaired  and  frequently  during  his  pastorate  he  delivered 
his  sermon  sitting  in  the  pulpit.  On  January  12,  1832,  his 
service  was  terminated  by  death.  There  is  in  existence  a 
quaint  resolution  adopted  at  a  meeting-  of  "the  pew-holders 
and  members  of  the  congregation"  on  the  ensuing  January 
19,  setting  out  that  as  a  tribute  of  respect  and  testimony  of 
love  they  wear  crepe  for  a  space  of  thirty  days.  It 
was  while  the  church  building  was  draped  in  black  for  him 
that  the  first  fire  occurred.  Dr.  Jennings  is  accredited  as 
pastor  with  bringing  a  number  of  influential  men  of  the 
city  into  the  church.  Shortly  after  his  arrival  here  his 
daughter,  Ann  E.  Jennings,  was  married  to  Henry  A.  Wise, 
a  young  lawyer  from  Virginia,  then  engaged  in  practice 
here.  Soon  after  the  Wises  returned  to  the  Old  Dominion, 
where  the  husband  entered  quickly  upon  a  life-long  career 
in  public  affairs.    He  was  Governor  of  Virginia  when  John 


*At  the  congregational   meeting  referred  to  Josiah   Nichol  was 
chairman  and  William  Berryhill,  secretary. 

-54- 


Brown's  attack  upon  Harper's  Ferry  heralded  the  coming 
of  the  awful  tempest  of  civil  war.  Governor  Wise's  eldest 
son,  Obadiah  Jennings  Wise,  perpetuated  his  grandfather's 
name  for  a  season,  but  survived  eight  duels  engaged  in  as  a 
result  of  criticism  of  his  father  by  opponents,  only  to  fall 
a  victim  of  the  Civil  War.^ 

After  the  death  of  Dr.  Jennings  and  the  destruction  of 
the  church,  services  were  held  temporarily  in  the  Masonic 
Hall,  Rev.  William  Hume  preaching  for  the  members,  until 
he  went  to  his  well-earned  reward,  before  the  pastorate  was 
permanently  filled.  The  congregation  then  numbered  ii6 
members. 

DR.   Edgar's  coming. 

The  year  1833  marked  the  beginning  of  a  great  era  of 
development  in  the  church.  That  was  the  year  the  "stars 
fell,"  about  which  time,  from  all  accounts,  it  must  have 
been  a  very  satisfying  doctrine — that  what  is  to  be  will  be. 
The  new  church,  a  $30,000  structure,  with  a  seating  capacity 
of  1,000,  and  a  spire  rising  150  feet  above  the  vestibule,  was 
completed.  It  was  dedicated  that  fall.  Of  far  greater  im- 
portance than  the  new  church  was  the  coming  of  Dr.  John 
Todd  Edgar  as  pastor.  H(js  service  as  pastor  began  August 
4,  1833,  and  death  ended  them  on  the  morning  of  Novem- 
ber 13,  i860.  He  was  one  of  the  greatest  among  the  great 
pastors  whose  leadership  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  has 
followed,  and  is  now  following,  in  its  century  of  existence. 
During  his  pastorate  564  members  were  admitted  on  exam- 
ination and  321  by  certificate.  Only  two  communion  sea- 
sons passed  when  there  were  no  additions.  It  was  under 
his  preaching  at  the  little  Hermitage  church  that  the  ven- 
erable hero  of  many  hard-fought  battlefields.  General  Jack- 
son, with  tears  streaming  down  his  withered  cheeks,  enrolled 

'Obadiah  Jennings  Wise,  during  the  time  he  was  fighting  a  duel 
with  every  caustic  critic  of  his  father,  was  editor  of  the  Richmond 
"Enquirer,"  and,  according  to  his  half-brother,  John  S.  Wise, 
fought  the  eight  duels  referred  to  in  less  than  two  years'  time. 

-55- 


himself  publicly  as  a  soldier  under  the  banner  of  the  Prince 
of  Peace  and  took  his  first  communion.^  It  was  in  1838, 
and  the  account  from  which  this  is  taken  was  written  proba- 
bly by  Dr.  Edgar  himself : 

"A  form  of  no  common  appearance  for  inspiring  venera- 
tion was  standing  before  the  assembly.  It  was  the  form  of 
one  who  had  long  been  known  as  amongst  the  most  distin- 
guished of  the  country's  Generals,  who  had  often  periled 
his  life  in  her  defense,  and  who,  under  God,  had  achieved 
one  of  the  most  memorable  victories  recorded  in  the  annals 
of  modern  warfare.  Nor  is  this  all.  The  same  venerable 
form  had  filled  as  a  statesman  the  highest  seat  in  the  gov- 
ernment of  his  country  and  had  been  clothed  with  the  high- 
est civic  honors  which  the  country,  in  all  its  unequaled  free- 
dom and  independence,  could  bestow.  He  had  passed 
through  a  life  of  most  eventful  scenes ;  he  had  returned  to 
his  own  Hermitage,  to  the  tomb  of  his  beloved  consort,  to 
the  few  remaining  friends  of  former  days,  to  some  of  the 
surviving  children  of  those  friends,  and  in  their  view  was 
about  to  pledge  himself  to  become  a  soldier  in  a  new  army 
and  to  engage  in  the  performance  of  duties  of  higher  im- 
portance than  ever  commanded  the  attention  of  earthly 
thrones  or  confederated  states.  And  to  add,  if  possible,  to 
the  impressiveness  of  the  scene,  the  partner  of  his  adopted 
son.  dear  to  him,  indeed,  as  a  daughter,  together  with  a 
beloved  niece,  were  about  to  seal  with  him  their  covenant 
for  the  first  time,  to  be  followers  of  the  Prince  of  Peace. 

"The  whole  of  the  preparatory  service  was  deeply  inter- 
esting, but  when  the  time  arrived  for  him  and  his  relatives 
and  friends  to  arise  and  take  their  seats  at  the  table  of  their 
ascended  Redeemer,  a  scene  of  weeping  gratitude  and  joy 
seemed  to  pervade  the  whole  congregation. 

^Some  of  the  circumstances  attending  Gen.  Jackson's  uniting 
with  the  church  are  told  of  in  Parton's  "Life  of  Jackson."  The 
account  from  which  the  above  excerpts  are  taken  appears  in  The 
Republican  Banner  of  July  20,  1838. 

-56- 


liUlcr    1S44-1S57. 


John   M.   Hill, 
I'oiiiulcr  of  the  Jo 


111    M.    Hill    I'liiul. 


"To  see  this  aged  veteran,  whose  head  had  stood  erect 
in  battle  and  through  scenes  of  fearful  bearing,  bend  that 
head  in  humble  and  adoring  reverence  at  the  table  of  his 
divine  Master,  while  tears  of  penitence  and  joy  trickled 
down  his  careworn  cheeks,  was,  indeed,  a  spectacle  of  most 
intense  moral  interest. 

"May  God  bless  and  uphold  him  in  his  last  days.  And 
when  the  time  for  his  departure  shall  arrive  may  he  come 
to  his  grave  not  only  full  of  years  but  full  of  peace  and  joy 
and  holy  triumph. "^ 

Jackson's  funeral. 
When  the  General  did  come  to  his  grave  a  few  years 
later  it  was  Dr.  Edgar  who  officiated  at  the  memorable 
funeral  at  the  Hermitage,  delivering  a  thoughtful  eulogy 
before  an  array  of  3,000  people,  taking  as  his  text  that  pil- 
low of  cloud  for  the  unhappy,  "These  are  they  which  came 
through  great  tribulation  and  washed  their  robes  white  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb." 

From  what  we  know  of  the  effects  of  his  ministry,  Dr. 
Edgar's  whole  being  must  have  been  involved  in  the  work 
of  His  Master  ;^  such  success  could  not  have  been  otherwise 
attained.  D'uring  his  pastorate  a  magnificent  organ  was 
installed  in  the  church,  one  of  the  first  two  in  Nashville 
churches.  Mr.  Nash  was  organist,  and  his  wife,  gifted  with 
a  rich  mezzo  soprano  voice,  was  leader  of  the  choir.  Not 
infrequently  Dr.  Edgar,  after  delivering  an  especially 
earnest  sermon,  would  seize  a  hymn  book,  and  without  wait- 


^Miss  Jane  Thomas,  in  her  booklet,  "Old  Days  in  Nashville,'' 
says  that  Dr.  Edgar  and  Dr.  John  Newland  ]\Iaffitt  preached  their 
first  sermons  here  on  the  same  day  in  May,  1833.  A  Nashville 
paper  of  the  time  says  that  the  latter  preached  here  on  May  5,  1833, 
but  no  mention  is  made  of  Dr.  Edgar.  Miss  Thomas  describes  Dr. 
Edgar  as  a  very  fine  looking  man,  and  very  popular. 

^The  above  is  from  reminiscences  of  Judge  James  T.  Bell,  pub- 
lished in  the  American  of  September  i,  1890.  The  other  organ  re- 
ferred to,  according  to  the  same  authority,  was  in  Christ  Church. 

-57— 


ing  for  organist  or  choir,  start  some  such  hymn  as  "How 
Firm  a  Foundation,"  leaving  the  organist  nonplussed. 

This  organ  was  destroyed  with  the  church,  which  burned 
on  the  night  of  September  14,  i84'8,  the  fire  starting  in  the 
tower,  where  tinners  had  been  at  work  making  repairs.  The 
firemen,  a  volunteer  brigade  then,  made  a  brave  fight,  but  the 
crowd  on  the  steps  interfered  with  their  efiforts  and  the 
flames  consumed  not  only  the  church,  but  the  residences  of 
Sandy  Carter  and  Henry  Yeatman  and  damaged  that  of 
Andrew  Ewing.  The  fire  loss  amounted  to  $30,000  to 
$40,000. 

PRESENT    CHURCH. 

The  corner  stone  of  the  new  church — the  present  build- 
ing— was  laid  April  28,  1849.  The  order  of  exercises  was 
as  follows : 

Scripture  reading  and  prayer  by  Rev.  Mr.  Huntingdon. 

Music  by  the  choir. 

Memorials,  selected  for  the  occasion,  deposited  with  the 
address  of  John  T.  Edgar,  D.D.,  in  the  zinc  box. 

Music. 

Address  to  the  congregation  by  Robert  A.  Lapsley,  D.D. 

Box  deposited  in  the  stone,  the  exercises  concluding 
with  prayer  by  Dr.  Edgar. 

For  the  benefit  of  those  of  inquiring  mind,  the  parts  of 
the  Scripture  read  at  the  ceremony  included  portions  of  the 
second  chapter  of  Second  Corinthians,  the  I32d,  133d  and 
the  first  verse  of  the  127th  Psalms.  The  hymns  used  at  the 
service  were  No.  499  of  the  Assembly  Collection,  "And  Will 
the  Great  Eternal  God,"  and  the  502d,  "Eternal  Source  of 
Every  Good."  Deposited  in  the  stone  were  the  Bible,  Con- 
fession of  Faith,  the  almanac  of  1849  and  a  silver  plate  bear- 
ing on  the  one  side  this  inscription : 

Corner  stone,  First  Presbyterian  Church,  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  laid  April  28,  1849. 

John  T.  Edgar,  D.D.,  pastor. 

-58— 


Elders^— N.  A.  McNairy,  R.  H.  McEwen,  M.  C.  EHinn, 
A.  W.  Putnam,  James  Nichol,  J.  M.  Hill,  A.  A.  Casseday, 
W.  Williams,  N.  Cross  and  W.  B.  A.  Ramsey. 

Deacons — S.  V.  D.  Stout,  B.  H.  Shepherd,  W.  Eakin  and 
A.  Hume. 

Communicants,  357. 

Building  Committee — J.  M,  Bass,  Chairman ;  A.  Allison, 
A.  W.  Putnam,  J.  M.  Hill,  S.  D.  Morgan,  W.  Nichol,  J.  T. 
Edgar,  O.  B.  Hayes  and  W.  Eakin. 

W.  Strickland,  architect ;  A.  G.  Payne  and  J.  C.  Mc- 
Laughlin, masons ;  J.  M.  Hughes,  carpenter. 

A.  Allison,   Mayor  of  Nashville. 

Population  of  the  city,  20,000. 

Population  of  the  United  States,  20,000,000. 

N.  S.  Brown,  Governor  of  the  State. 

Z.  Taylor,  President  of  the  United  States. 

On  the  reverse  side  of  the  silver  plate  was  an  engraving 
of  the  front  of  the  church  and  underneath  the  words: 

The  former  pastors: 

G.  Blackburn,  1813  (organizer), 

A.  D.  Campbell,  1820. 

Ob.  Jennings,  1828. 

Deposited  also  in  the  stone  was  a  daguerreotype  of  Dr. 
Edgar,  sent  by  Daniel  Adams,  the  engraver,  "as  a  compli- 
ment to  Dr.  Edgar  and  a  specimen  of  the  new  art." 


'Robert  H.  McEwen  was  elected  an  elder  June,  1829,  and  con- 
tinued as  such  nearly  forty  years.  He  was  clerk  of  the  session 
over  thirty  years.  A.  W.  Putnam,  elected  an  elder  September  6, 
1839,  succeeded  him  as  clerk.  W.  B.  A.  Ramsey  was  Secretary  of 
State  of  Tennessee  from  1847  to  1855.  W.  Eakin  married  the 
youngest  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Felix  Grundy,  Felicia;  she 
afterwards  became  Mrs.  Porter.  S.  D.  Morgan  was  not  a  church- 
man. He  was  chairman  of  the  commission  which  built  the  Capitol 
and  has  a  tomb  in  its  walls.  O.  B.  Hayes  was  a  New  Englander 
who  settled  here  in  1808.  He  was  a  lawyer  with  an  extensive  prac- 
tice. Having  acquired  a  competency,  he  retired  with  the  view  of 
entering  the  ministry.  The  history  of  Davidson  County  says  he 
and  Tom  Benton  were  law  partners  while  the  latter  lived  in  Ten- 
nessee. It  was  his  daughter  who  presented  the  church  its  famous 
bell. 

-59- 


On  Sunday,  January  6,  1850,  the  congregation  worshiped 
in  the  lecture-room  for  the  first  time.  The  church  was 
completed  the  following  spring,  the  cost,  including  the  or- 
gan, being  $51,000.  The  seating  capacity,  including  the  gal- 
lery, is  1,300.  The  towers  are  104  feet  in  height.  The 
church  is  finished  in  Egyptian  style. 

CHURCH     DEDICATION. 

The  church  was  dedicated  on  Easter  Sunday,  April  20, 
185 1,  at  the  II  o'clock  service. 

Of  that  service  a  quaint  account  is  preserved  in  the  files 
of  one  of  Nashville's  papers,  the  Gazette: 

"A  solemn  and  interesting  occasion,"  "The  building  is 
much  the  largest  in  the  city,"  are  expressions  used  in  the 
account.  Dr.  R.  J.  Breckinridge,  of  Kentucky,  was  to  have 
delivered  the  dedication  sermon ;  he  was  detained  for  some 
reason,  and  the  duty  devolved  upon  Dr.  Edgar,  a  result  for 
which  the  Gazette  recorder  acknowledges  gratitude,  the  ser- 
mon having  been  an  unusually  good  one.  Of  the  perform- 
ances of  the  choir:  "Everybody,"  the  writer  continues, 
"speaks  in  rapturous  adoration."  And  forthwith  he  launches 
into  an  admission  that  he  was  among  the  multitude  that  had 
lately  thrown  away  money  to  hear  the  immortal  Jenny 
Lind,  and  he  liked  the  choir's  singing  far  better. 

The  narrator,  among  other  things,  does  not  overlook  the 
fact  that  the  interior  of  the  church  is  Egyptian  in  decoration, 
and  questions  the  appropriateness  of  it.^ 


^The  church  manual  of  191 1  quoting  from  an  old  newspaper 
account  of  the  interior  colors  and  decorations  says :  "There  is  a 
mystic  meaning  in  the  colors  used,  which  originated  among  the  old 
architects  hundreds  of  years  ago.  It  is  as  follows :  Red  represents 
Divine  love ;  blue,  Divine  intelligence ;  golden  yellow,  the  mercy  of 
God;  the  lilies,  innocence  and  purity;  the  triangle  the  Trinity. 
The  cluster  of  seeds  held  together  with  a  band  of  gold,  crossed 
with  red,  represents  the  membership  held  together  with  the  gold 
band  of  love.  Then,  too,  the  winged  globe  has  its  symbol.  The 
globe  represents  eternity;  the  serpent,  wisdom;  and  the  wings 
the  soul." 

-60- 


SUFFERS   FROM   STORMS. 

The  church  since  its  dedication  has  suffered  from  two 
storms.  In  1855  the  building  was  wholly  unroofed  and 
partially  so  in  1859;  from  December  31,  1862,  until  June, 
1865,  it  was  under  the  control  of  the  Federal  Government 
and  used  as  a  hospital,  but  it  stands  today  a  monument  to 
its  builder,  William  Strickland,  the  builder  of  the  Capitol, 
whose  ashes  repose  in  the  State  House  walls. 

At  a  meeting-  of  the  congregation  held  August  9,  1859, 
it  was  decided  to  call  an  associate  pastor  to  assist  Dr.  Edgar 
in  his  work.  A  unanimous  call  was  accordingly  issued  to 
Rev.  Joseph  Bardwell,  of  Aberdeen,  Miss.  He  accepted  and 
commenced  his  labors  on  October  i,  1859.  Within  a  little 
more  than  a  year  the  angel  of  death  passed  over  the  church 
manse  and  summoned  the  pastor.  The  end  came  to  him 
November  13,  i860.  The  night  before  he  attended  and 
led  the  prayer-meeting,  afterwards  attending  a  church  meet- 
ing. Retiring  about  10  o'clock,  a  few  hours  later  "the  mes- 
senger came."  From  that  time  till  his  death  he  was  speech- 
less and  unconscious.  "His  death  will  be  universally 
mourned  as  a  public  loss — a  public  calamity,"  was  the  ver- 
dict of  Nashville's  best  newspaper,  chronicling  the  fact. 
Mayor  R.  B.  Cheatham  ordered  all  business  suspended  on 
November  15  during  the  hour  of  Dr.  Edgar's  funeral. 

Mr.  Bardwell  succeeded  him  in  the  pastorate,  but  it  was 
not  for  long.  After  the  fall  of  Fort  Dbnelson  and  the 
threatened  occupation  of  Nashville  by  Federal  troops,  he, 
with  countless  others,  went  South,  He  was  not  allowed  to 
return,  the  record  reads,  and  on  June  30,  1864,  the  pastoral 
relation  was  dissolved.  For  a  few  months  the  pulpit  was 
supplied  by  Rev.  J.  T.  Htendricks,  and  from  then  until  after 
the  close  of  the  war  "the  altar  was  desolate." 

-61- 


DAMAGED   DURING   THE   WAR. 

A  Nashville  newspaper  of  Sunday,  July  9,  1865,  an- 
nounces the  fact  that  the  Rev.  Robert  F.  Bunting  had  ar- 
rived and  thereafter  religious  services  might  be  expected  at 
the  church.  The  church  had  been  seriously  damaged  during 
its  occupancy  as  a  hospital  and  the  Federal  Government 
allowed  the  congregation  $7,500  for  making  repairs.  There 
is  now  pending  before  Congress  a  claim  for  $1,200^  addi- 
tional, which  would  have  been  allowed  ere  this  had  the 
European  war  not  come  op. 

Dr.  Bunting  was  formally  installed  as  pastor  June  10, 
1866.  The  relation  was  dissolved  on  July  23,  1868,  the  pas- 
tor accepting  a  call  to  Galveston,  Texas.  It  was  at  the 
close  of  his  administration  that  a  history  of  the  church  was 
prepared. 

Dr.  Bunting  was  succeeded  in  the  pastorate  by  Rev. 
Thomas  Verner  Moore,  of  Richmond,  who  was  elected  pas- 
tor August  30,  1868.  The  calling  of  Dr.  Moore  recalls 
the  last  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly  in  this  church. 
It  began  November  21,  1867.  Dr.  Moore  was  present  as 
a  commissioner  from  East  Hanover  Presbytery  and  was 
elected  Moderator.  So  pleasantly  did  he  impress  the  con- 
gregation of  this  church  that  when  the  vacancy  occurred  in 
the  pulpit  the  call  was  extended  to  him. 

LEE   MEMORIAL  SERMON. 

Dr.  Moore  was  a  personal  friend  of  General  Lee  and, 
it  is  said,  of  Stonewall  Jackson.  You  can  find  his  name  in 
the  official  records  of  the  war  in  connection  with  efforts  to 
secure  the  exchange  of  prisoners.  He  was  then  in  Rich- 
mond. One  case  in  which  he  interested  himself  involved 
the  private  exchange  of  General  Lee's  son.  However, 
General  Lee  would  not  endorse  private  exchanges  and  the 
effort  came  to  nothing.  One  of  Dr.  Moore's  notable  sermons 


*A  few  months  later  the  appropriation  was  passed. 
-62— 


while  here  was  a  memorial  sermon  for  General  Lee.  It  was 
preached  in  this  church  on  October  23,  1870,-  the  request 
for  it  having  been  made  by  a  public  meeting  of  citizens. 
Dr.  Moore  died  in  the  pastorate,  August  5,  1871. 

Dr.  Henry  J.  Van  Dyke,  father  of  the  well-known  writer, 
was  the  next  pastor,  coming  here  from  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
Prior  to  his  coming  on  February  11,  1872,  the  pulpit  was 
supplied  by  Rev.  J.  E.  Wheeler,  of  Vicksburg,  Miss.  Dr. 
Van  Dyke's  term  of  service  was  brief,  by  reason  of  the  se- 
vere illness  of  his  wife,  whom  he  found  necessary  to  take 
to  Europe.     He  resigned  on  November  17,  1872. 

The  next  pastor  was  Dr.  T.  A.  Hoyt,^  of  New  York, 
the  father  of  Mrs.  Robert  Ewing,  of  this  congregation. 
He  began  his  work  here  February  i,  1873.  He  was  a  man 
of  extraordinary  executive  ability  and  of  the  highest  char- 
acter. Before  coming  to  Nashville  he  had  been  President 
of  the  New  York  Gold  Board,  and  on  leaving  for  his  new 
field  the  board  voted  him  a  gift  of  $1,500.  Dr.  Hoyt  left 
the  church  in  May,  1883.  He  died  pastor  of  the  Chambers- 
Wylie  Presbyterian  Church,  of  Philadelphia. 

During  the  remainder  of  that  year  and  a  part  of  the 
next  the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  Bishop  O.  P.  Fitzgerald,  a 
man  whose  name  is  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  all  who  knew 
him.  The  new  pastor,  Rev.  Jerry  Witherspoon,  of  Jack- 
son, began  his  work  here  on  March  23,  1884,  and  continued 
in  the  pastorate  until  January  i,  1894,  when  he  accepted  a 
call  to  Baltimore,  going  later  to  Richmond,  where  he  died 
pastor  of  the  Grace  Street  Presbyterian  Church. 

CALLING   OF   DR.   VANCE. 

During  the  interim  Dr.  Collins  Denny,  now  Bishop  Den- 
ny, supplied  the  pulpit.    On  September  9,  1894,  the  congre- 


''Dr.  Moore's  sermon  on  Gen.  Lee  was  published  in  full  in  one 
of  the  Nashville  papers  at  the  time. 

^The  widow  of  Dr.  Hoyt  was  an  attendant  upon  the  centennial 
exercises  held  in  the  church  November  8  to  15,  1914. 

-63- 


gation  voted  to  call  Dr.  James  I.  Vance,  then  of  Norfolk, 
a  native  of  Bristol.  At  that  meeting  of  the  congregation 
Dr.  S.  H.  Chester  presided  as  Moderator  and  Dr.  Vance 
was  nominated  by  Prof.  C,  B.  Wallace.  When  the  vote 
was  taken  there  were  237  ballots  for  him  and  three  cast  for 
ineligible  men.  Maj.  Wilbur  F.  Foster  and  W.  H.  Raymond 
were  appointed  to  prosecute  the  call  before  the  presbytery 
at  Norfolk.  On  October  6,  1894,  Capt.  J.  B.  O'Bryan  re- 
ceived a  telegram  announcing  that  Dr.  Vance  had  accepted. 
He  arrived  here  on  February  2,  1895,  and  was  installed  Feb- 
ruary 17,  1895.  His  first  sermon  was  very  typical,  "A 
Young  Man's  Call."  It  was  also  appropriate.  At  that  time 
he  looked  scarcely  more  than  a  college  boy  and  was,  in  fact, 
only  33  years  of  age. 

This  first  pastorate  of  Dr.  Vance  continued  for  over  five 
years.  He  resigned  to  accept  the  call  of  the  Dutch  Re- 
formed Church  of  Newark,  N.  J.  His  successor  was  Dr. 
William  M.  Anderson,^  a  native  of  Trenton,  Tenn.,  then  fill- 
ing the  pulpit  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Dallas, 
Texas.  A  telegram  on  April  13,  1901,  announced  his  ac- 
ceptance of  the  call.  His  ministry  is  too  recent  to  require 
more  than  a  passing  comment.  And  that  comment  is  that 
no  man  ever  enjoyed  the  affection  of  the  city  at  large  as  did 
he.  He  had  the  love  of  men  in  every  walk  of  life,  and  the 
efforts  to  minister  to  their  spiritual  needs  almost  cost  him 
his  life. 

Ob  May  15,  1910,  just  two  weeks  after  he  had  preached 
his  ninth  anniversary  sermon,  Dr.  Anderson  announced  his 
decision  to  accept  a  call  to  return  to  his  Dallas  church,  a 
call  which  had  been  unanimously  extended.  He  left  this 
city  on  the  ensuing  June  7. 

On  August  19,  1910,  Dr.  Vance  wired  from  his  summer 


^Dr.  William  M.  Anderson,  the  only  survivor  among  the  former 
pastors  at  the  time  of  the  centennial  celebrations,  was  an  attendant 
upon  them  and  spoke  on  the  night  of  November  11. 

-64- 


Daniel  F.    Carter, 

Deacon     1850-1860.       Jilder    1860-1874. 


home  at  Blowing  Rock,  N.  C,  to  Dr.  Paul  F.  Eve  that  he 
had  determined  that  it  was  his  duty  to  accept  the  call  of  his 
old  church  here.  His  present  pastorate  began  November 
Q.'j,  1910,  his  installation  occurring  December  4. 

Dr.  A.  L.  Phillips  supplied  the  church  in  the  interim 
between  the  first  pastorate  of  Dr.  Vance  and  the  calling  of 
Dr.  Anderson.  Dir.  Thomas  Carter  supplied  the  pulpit  in 
the  interim  between  the  leaving  of  Dr.  Anderson  and  the 
second  pastorate  of  Dr.  Vance. 

ONE    CENTURY    OLD. 

On  November  14,  1914,  this  church,  according  to  our 
reckoning,  will  be  100  years  old.  It  has  been  singularly 
blessed.  It  is  the  strongest  church  in  the  Southern  Pres- 
byterian denomination.  It  is  one  of  the  most  successful  up- 
town churches  in  the  country.  Its  membership  today  is 
the  largest  in  its  history  and  its  gifts  the  largest.  The  last 
annual  report  showed  a  membership  of  1,562  and  its  receipts 
for  the  year  were  $32,087,  equivalent  to  more  than  $20  for 
every  man,  woman  and  child,  rich  and  poor,  in  the  congre- 
gation. But  this  does  not  begin  to  tell  the  story.  Nowhere 
in  this  broad  land  is  there  a  finer  spirit  among  a  church 
membership ;  nowhere  in  this  world  is  there  proportionately 
more  kindliness  of  heart  or  charitableness  of  purpose  col- 
lected together  and  expressing  itself  daily  for  the  honor  and 
the  glory  of  the  Saviour  of  mankind.  The  church  has  been 
fortunate  in  its  pastors.  Some  have  achieved  success 
through  executive  ability ;  some  have  been  priests  in  the 
truest  sense  to  their  people,  and  others  have  been  notable 
for  the  eloquence  with  which  they  preached  the  word  of 
God.  All  have  been  devotedly  earnest  in  the  cause  of  the 
Master.  Had  it  been  otherwise,  there  would  have  been  no 
success.  We  owe  a  great  debt  to  each  and  every  one  of 
them. 

SOME    NOTABLE    MEMBERS. 

And  the  membership — 

Nashville's  honor  roll  is  fairly  represented  in  the  army 

-65- 


of  devoted  men  and  women  who  have  looked  to  this  church 
as  their  spiritual  home. 

The  great  John  Bell  was  a  member,  and  his  grand- 
children are  prominent  in  the  church  at  Murfreesboro. 

Felix  Grundy,  Tennessee's  greatest  lawyer  and  the  At- 
torney-General of  the  United  States,  was  a  member.  His 
descendants  are  among  the  most  prominent  members  of  this 
congregation. 

M.  H.  Howard,  the  father  of  Nashville's  public  library, 
was  a  member. 

A.  W.  Putnam,  the  historian,  was  for  some  years  clerk 
of  the  session. 

Samuel  Watkins,  who  did  the  brick  work  on  our  second 
house  of  worship,  for  years  was  a  pew-holder  and  a  large 
contributor  before  he  became  a  member. 

John  M.  Hill,  the  great  and  good  merchant,  was  one 
of  I>r.  Edgar's  early  additions,  and  was  for  over  thirty 
years  an  officer  of  the  church.  Both  he  and  his  kinsman, 
one  of  Nashville's  most  worthy  men,  the  late  John  Hill 
Eakin,  also  an  officer  of  the  church,  remembered  its  people 
and  its  work  munificently  when  they  neared  the  end. 

Alfred  Hume,  the  father  of  Nashville's  public  school 
system,  was  a  deacon  from  May  4,  1844,  till  his  death,  Octo- 
ber 29,  1853. 

Howell  E.  Jackson,  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court, 
was  a  member. 

Dr.  Philip  Lindsley,  who  might  have  been  President  of 
Princeton,  and  was  for  twenty-five  years  President  of  the 
University  of  Nashville,  was  a  member. 

R.  H.  McEwen,  the  State's  first  Superintendent  of  Pub- 
lic Instruction,  was  clerk  of  the  session  for  a  generation. 

Or.  Paul  F.  Eve,  Sr.,  distinguished  surgeon,  was  an 
elder. 

-66- 


Nathaniel  Cross,  the  educator,  was  also  a  member. 

John  M.  Bass,  whose  name  is  known  wherever  Nash- 
ville's history  has  gone  as  the  receiver  of  the  city,  was  chair- 
man of  the  building  committee  that  erected  this  church.  He 
did  not  belong  to  it,  but  described  his  relation  as  that  of  a 
half-brother. 

Samuel  V.  D.  Stout,  William  Nichol,  Alexander  Allison 
and  John  A.  McEwen^  were  some  of  the  Presbyterian 
Mayors  before  the  war. 

Ephraim  HI.  Foster  was  not  a  member  of  this  church, 
but  he  was  buried  from  it. 

Gen.  Frank  Cheatham  was  not  a  member,  but  he  was 
married  in  it. 

Some  of  those  who  labored  long  and  faithfully  in  official 
capacities  and  whose  work  has  lived  after  them  are  A.  G. 
Adams,  J.  M.  Hamilton,  H.  Hill  McAlister,  Joseph  B. 
O'Bryan,  James  M.  Safiford,  Byrd  Douglas  and  Bradford 
Nichol. 

MRS.    POLK    A    MEMBER. 

And  there  are  the  women. 

Mrs.  James  Knox  Polk  was  for  over  fifty  years  a  mem- 
ber of  the  denomination,  and  for  most  of  the  time  a  member 
of  this  church.  Her  portrait  hangs  in  the  White  House, 
placed  there  by  American  women  of  the  North  and  South, 
in  recognition  of  her  example  as  mistress  of  the  executive 
mansion.     Her  pew  is  still  occupied  by  her  connection. 

And  Mrs.  Grundy,  the  mother  of  the  Sunday  schools  of 
Nashville.  We  honor  her  memory  in  this  celebration  for 
her  great  mind  and  greater  heart. 


*In  this  paper  as  read,  an  honor  belonging  to  a  son  was  erro- 
neously given  to  his  father ;  it  was  stated  that  R.  H.  McEwen  had 
been  Mayor  of  Niashville.  It  was  his  son,  John  A.  McEwen,  to 
whom  the  distinction  should  have  gone.  The  latter  was  a  Presby- 
terian and  a  member  of  this  church. 

-67- 


And  in  our  own  time  there  is  Miss  Martha  O^'Bryan,'' 
the  romance  of  whose  life  was  blighted  by  the  cruel  exigen- 
cies of  war,  but  whose  efiforts  to  do  good  never  relaxed  till 
she  left  this  world  to  go  and  meet  her  hero,  the  unfortunate, 
some  say  the  martyred,  John  Yates  Beall. 

We  do  not  boast  of  names  upon  the  rolls  of  the  church 
as  great.  Our  boast  of  them  is  the  fact  that  these  men 
and  women  were  good  as  well  as  great,  and  several  have 
left  living  testimonies  of  their  goodness,  such  as  the  Wat- 
kins  Night  School  and  the  Howard  Library.  From  the  for- 
tunes of  two,  both  members  of  the  same  family,  the  church 
itself  is  a  large  beneficiary,  and  as  a  result  has  at  its  com- 
mand the  means  to  meet  its  growing  responsibilities  effect- 
ively and  generously.  The  reference  is  to  John  M.  Hill 
and  his  nephew  and  ward,  John  Hill  Eakin.^ 

Mr.  Hill  left  two  funds  of  $10,000  each,  one  for  the 
poor  of  the  Presbyterian  churches  of  Nashville,  the  other 
for  the  relief  of  ministers  and  their  widows  of  the  Nash- 
ville Presbytery,  any  residue  remaining  of  the  income  going 
to  the  widows  of  this  church  in  need  of  aid. 

JOHN    HILL    EAKIN's    GIFT. 

The    John    Hill    Eakin    fund,    amounting   to   $119,500, 


^John  Yates  Beall  was  one  of  the  most  daring  spirits  in  the  Con- 
federate service.  His  most  famous  exploit,  or  attempted  exploit, 
was  designed  to  effect  the  release  of  the  Confederates  imprisoned 
on  Johnson's  Island.  An  associate  in  the  daring  enterprise  was 
Bennett  Burleigh.  The  plan  miscarried.  Beall  was  later  cap- 
tured by  the  Federals  and  tried  as  a  spy.  He  was  executed  on 
Governor's  Island,  February  24,  1865.  Miss  O'Bryan  died  Decem- 
ber 16,  1910.  An  account  of  her  blighted  romance  and  an  appre- 
ciation of  her  life,  devoted  to  doing  good,  was  written  for  the 
Banner  and  appeared  in  the  issue  of  December  17.  1910.  It  was 
written  by  Dr.  J.  H.  McNeilly. 

'A  portrait  of  John  M.  Hill  was  presented  to  the  church  at  the 
time  of  the  centennial  exercises  by  Mrs.  John  Hill  Eakin.  The  his- 
tory of  Davidson  County  says  that  he  came  here  as  a  young  man 
of  22  in  1819.  From  a  modest  beginning,  he  accumulated  through 
exact  and  conscientious  dealings,  a  handsome  fortune,  and  retired 
in  1845.    He  is  described  as  an  "open-handed  Christian." 

-68- 


through  the  beneficence  of  his  wife,  also  a  member  of  this 
church,  is  already  in  the  church's  hands.  It  is  to  be  an 
endowment  fund,  the  income  from  which  is  to  be  used  to 
foster  and  aid  the  benevolent  enterprises  of  this  church 
and  promote,  through  this  church,  the  building  up  of  Pres- 
byterianism  in  Middle  Tennessee.  It  may  be  said  Mr.  Eakin 
also  left  a  similar  amount  to  the  Nashville  Voung  Men's 
Christian  Association,  a  feature  of  which  is  already  the 
John  Hill  Eakin  Institute. 

In  connection  with  gifts  to  the  church,  a  notable  one  is 
the  bell,  the  gift  of  Mrs.  Adelicia  Acklen,  later  Mrs.  W.  A. 
Cheatham.  For  nearly  fifty  years  it  has  called  the  mem- 
bership to  worship,  and  from  1874  to  1897  it  did  duty  as  the 
city's  fire  alarm.  The  bell  arrived  here  July  6,  1867.  It  was 
made  in  West  Troy,  N.  Y. ;  it  weighs  4,013  pounds  and  is 
four  feet  ten  inches  in  diameter.  It  cost  $3,000.  This  is 
inscribed  on  it: 

Presented  to 

The  First  Presbyterian  Church,  Nashville,  Tenn., 

by 

Mrs.  Adelicia  Acklen. 

June  I,  1867. 

In  the  course  of  its  existence  this  church  has  been  the 
scene  of  several  notable  occasions,  some  of  other  than  a 
religious  nature. 

JACKSON    PRESENTED   SWORD. 

For  his  services  at  New  Orleans  the  State  of  Tennessee 
voted  Andrew  Jackson  a  sword.-  It  was  presented  in  this 
church  on  July  4,  1822.  After  a  great  parade  of  the  militia 
and  the  notables,  "an  audience  the  most  numerous  we  have 
ever  witnessed  in  this  city"  gathered,  so  the  story  goes,  in 


''An  account  of  the  presentation  of  the  sword  to  Jackson  is 
published  in  the  Nashville  Whig  of  July  10,  1822.  The  file  of  the 
paper  is  in  the  Carnegie  Library. 

-69- 


the  original  church  house  to  witness  the  presentation.  There 
was  an  invocation  by  Rev.  William  Hume,  an  address  by 
Ephraim  H.  Foster,  and  Governor  Carroll  presented  the 
weapon.  After  General  Jackson's  response  and  a  benedic- 
tion by  Mr.  Hume,  the  procession  proceeded-  to  Judge  John 
McNairy's  spring,  where  a  big  barbecue  was  given.  This 
sword  was  bequeathed  by  General  Jackson  to  Andrew  J. 
Donelson,  his  former  Secretary  and  protege,  with  this  in- 
junction, "That  he  fail  not  to  use  it  when  necessary  in  sup- 
port and  protection  of  the  constitutional  rights  of  our  be- 
loved country  should  they  ever  be  assailed 'by  foreign  ene- 
mies or  domestic  traitors."  This  sword  continues  in  pos- 
session of  the  family. 

On  July  4,  1829,  Gen.  William  Carroll,  another  hero  of 
New  Orleans — he  was  buried  from  this  church  on  his  death 
— was  presented  a  sword  from  the  State,  the  presentation 
being  made  by  D'aniel  Graham,  Secretary  of  State. 

POLK   INAUGURATED. 

On  October  14,  1839,  James  Knox  Polk  took  the  oath  of 
office  as  Governor  in  our  church.  Present  that  day  among 
the  applauding  spectators  were  General  Jackson  and  Wil- 
liam Carroll.  Newton  Cannon,  as  retiring  executive,  spoke 
and  the  new  Governor  spoke,  the  opposition  paper  frankly 
admitting  that  the  speech  of  Polk  was  one  of  the  purest 
pieces  of  demagogy  its  editor  had  ever  heard.  Politics  in 
Tennessee  was  as  savagely  critical  then  as  it  has  been  in 
later  years. 

The  General  Assembly  of  the  church  met  here  on  May 
17.  1855,  holding  its  sessions  in  this  building.  Dr.  N.  L. 
Rice,  of  St.  Louis,  was  elected  Moderator.  The  meeting 
is  sadly  memorable.  Dr.  Philip  Lindsley,  the  veteran  edu- 
cator, at  the  time  Professor  of  Theology  in  the  New  Albany, 
Ind.,  Theological  Seminary,  was  present  as  a  commissioner 
from  New  Albany '  Presbytery.  During  the  session  he  was 
stricken  with  apoplexy  and  died  at  the  home  of  his  son- 

-70- 


in-law,  Rev.  J.  W.  Hoyte.  His  funeral  was  held  from  this 
church  May  28. 

The  last  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly  in  this 
church  was  on  November  21,  1867,  when  Dr.  Moore  was 
chosen  Moderator,  and  as  a  result  received  his  call  to  the 
pastorate.  Representing  this  presbytery  at  that  session 
were  Dr.  R.  A.  Lapsley  and  Charles  Ready. 

A  notable  gathering  in  the  church  in  comparatively 
recent  years  was  the  National  W.  C.  T.  U.  Convention, 
which  began  November  8,  1907. 

COINCIDENCES, 

It  is  a  coincidence  to  be  noted  in  passing  that  the  first 
pastor  and  the  present  pastor  were  licensed  to  preach  by  the 
Presbytery  of  Abingdon.  There  are  other  coincidences  in 
this  celebration.  When  this  church  was  organized  Europe 
was  taking  a  breathing  spell  preparatory  to  the  shock  of 
Waterloo. 

The  fiftieth  anniversary  found  Hood's  army  at  the 
Tennessee  River  prepared  to  make  its  dash  on  Nashville, 
with  that  veteran  church  official,  Maj.  Wilbur  F.  Foster, 
among  the  advancing  host,  as  was  Surgeon  J.  D.  Plunket. 
The  hundredth  anniversary  finds  Europe  again  at  war — a 
war  more  dreadful  even  than  the  Napoleonic  wars,  but  there 
is  this  satisfactory  fact  to  contemplate  in  this  connection, 
the  hour  is  near  at  hand  for  the  celebration  of  a  century 
of  peace  among  English-speaking  nations. 


The  writer  is  greatly  indebted  to  Dr.  John  M.  Bass,  a 
grandson  of  the  Chairman  of  the  Building  Committee  of 
the  present  church,  for  the  loan  of  Dr.  Bunting's  history. 
He  is  also  indebted  to  Mrs.  T.  M.  Steger,  a  descendant  of 
Mrs.  Felix  Grundy,  and  a  daughter  of  another  devoted  Pres- 
byterian Church  worker,  Mrs.  Felicia  Grundy  Porter,  for 
other  data ;  to  Mr.  Robert  S.  Cowan,  the  veteran  clerk  of 
the  session;  to  the  Historical  Society,  the  Carnegie  Library, 
and  Dr.  J.  H.  McNeilly. 

-71- 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  MINISTERS  AND  PASTORS  OF  THE  FIRST 
PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,  OF  NASH- 
VILLE,  TENN. 

By  Rev.  James  H.  McNeilly,  D.D. 

One  hundred  years  ago,  in  a  pioneer  town  on  the  banks 
of  the  Cumberland  River,  with  a  population  of  about  fif- 
teen hundred,  six  women  and  one  man  were  organized  as 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Nashville  by  one  of  the 
mightiest  preachers  and  greatest  orators  of  that  or  any 
other  age. 

In  the  century  just  ending  that  little  band  has  grown 
to  a  membership  of  sixteen  hundred,  with  branches  in  all 
sections  of  a  city  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  in- 
habitants. And  these  branches  have  over  two  thousand 
members.  Moreover,  in  the  city  are  other  churches  hold- 
ing the  same  standards  of  faith  and  order,  with  eleven 
hundred  members.  So  that  today  there  are  near  five  thou- 
sand Presbyterian  church  members  where  there  were  only 
seven  one  hundred  years  ago.  Our  denomination  has  in- 
creased seven  hundred  fold,  while  the  population  of  the 
city  has  multiplied  one  hundred  fold.  And  when  we  note 
the  progress  of  our  sister  denominations  in  our  city,  as 
compared  with  the  growth  of  the  population,  we  have  rea- 
son to  be  encouraged. 

INTRODUCTION. 

The  progress  of  any  great  movement  depends,  under 
God,  largely  on  the  leaders  of  it,  and  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  the  course  of  its  history,  has  had  a  succession 

-72- 


iW-  ^^1^ 


H.  Hill  McAlister, 

Deacon    1860-1867.       hhler    1867-1891.      Leader    in    tlie    Work    Resulting 
Cottage   Church. 


in    the 


of  able  and  godly  men — "men  of  Hgtit  and  leading,  who 
had  understanding  of  the  times,  to  know  what  Israel  ought 
to  do."  They  were  men  of  commanding  personality,  of 
strong  faith  and  courage,  of  intense  energy,  who  exercised 
a  powerful  influence  on  the  moral  and  spiritual  life  and 
ideals   of  the   whole   community. 

I  am  asked  to  recall  some  of  the  characteristics  of  these 
ministers  of  the  Word  of  God  as  they  are  preserved  in  writ- 
ten or  printed  records,  in  the  traditions  of  a  past  genera- 
tion,  or   in  the  memories  of  this  passing  generation. 

It  has  been  my  privilege  to  know  personally  every  man 
who  has  served  this  church  as  pastor  since  1833 — eighty-one 
years  ago.  Moreover,  I  IJiave  known  intimately  Col.  W.  B. 
A.  Ramsey,  long  Secretary  of  State  for  Tennessee ;  Gov- 
ernor Neil  S.  Brown,  and  Hon.  Charles  Ready,  member  of 
Congress  from  Tennessee.  These  men  were  in  their  ^  youth 
familiar  with  the  beginnings  of  Presbyterianism  in  the 
State,  and  had  often  heard  the  great  preachers  of  that 
earlier  time.  ' 

REV.    DR.    THOMAS    B.    CRAIGHEAD. 

The  first  Presbyterian  minister  to  work  in  Middle  Ten- 
nessee, or  in  the  Cumberland  Country,  as  it /was  then  called, 
was  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  B.  Craighead.  He  was  born  in 
North  Carolina,  the  son  of  Rev.  Alexander  Craighead,  who 
was  one  of  \  Whitefield's  helpers  in  the  great  revivals  under 
that  wonderful  evangelist.  The  son  was  educated  at  Prince- 
ton, N.  J.,  graduating  in  1775,  and  in  1780  was  ordained 
by  the  Presbytery  of  Orange,  N.  C.  After  a  few  years'  work 
in  his  native  State,  he  came  to  Kentucky,  and  in  a  short 
time  he  came  to  Tennessee  and  located  at  Spring  Hill,  near 
the  village  of  Haysboro,  six  or  seven  miles  east  of  Nash- 
ville. The  tradition  is  that  when  he  and  his  company  ar- 
rived in  1785  they  cut  down  the  forest  trees  to  prepare  a 
place  for  worship,  and  the  first  pulpit  was  the  stump  of  a 
large  tree,  while  the  congregation  sat  on  the  bodies  of  the 
fallen  trees — the  first  pews. 

-73- 


At  Spring  Hill  a  stone  building  24  by  30  feet  was  erected 
for  school  and  church  services.  There  for  thirty  years  Mr. 
Craighead  preached,  and  at  first  taught  the  Davidson  Acad- 
emy, the  cradle  of  the  University  of  Nashville.  Some  of 
the  foundation  stones  of  that  old  building  are  still  in  place 
in  the  grounds  of  the  present  Spring  Hill  Cemetery.  The 
house  in  which  the  minister  lived  until  his  death  was  sit- 
uated just  across  the  road,  a  short  distance  from  the  school- 
house.  A  few  years  ago  the  residence  was  burned  down, 
but  was  rebuilt  on  the  old  walls  and  on  the  original  plan. 

Mr.  Craighead  was  a  profound  scholar,  an  independent 
thinker,  a  man  of  intense  convictions  and  of  dauntless  cour- 
age; and  Dr.  Philip  Lindsley  testified,  "the  most  spiritual, 
heavenly-minded  person  he  ever  knew."  As  a  preacher  his 
diction  was  clear  and  unadorned ;  his  manner  fervid,  solemn, 
intense ;  his  enunciation  distinct  and  precise.  He  usually 
spoke  without  notes.  In  person  he  was  tall,  straight  as 
an  arrow,  his  countenance  strong  and  stern,  his  complexion 
ruddy,  his  eyes  blue,  his  hair  sandy.  His  bearing  was 
dignified.  He  preached  frequently  in  Nashville  and  in  the 
surrounding  country. 

The  Davidson  Academy  was  incorporated  by  the  Legis- 
lature of  North  Carolina  in  1785,  and  in  1786  Mr.  Craig- 
head was  chosen  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

His  last  years  were  embittered  by  his  suspension  from 
the  ministry  on  charges  of  heresy.  The  Presbyterianism  of 
that  day  was  intensely  orthodox,  not  to  say  intolerant. 
Even  Mr.  Craighead  himself  was  bitterly  opposed  to  the 
measures  used  in  the  great  revival  of  1810,  which  resulted 
in  the  organization  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church. 
The  sentence  of  suspension  was  rescinded  some  time  before 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1824,  at  the  age  71  years. 

Mr.  Craighead  was  of  that  stern,  independent,  inde- 
fatigable Scotch-Irish  stock  which  furnished  so  much  of 
the  pioneer  courage  and  strength  in  the  settlement  of  Ten- 

-74- 


nessee.  And  he  was  a  worthy  representative  of  his  race. 
It  is  said  that  General  Andrew  Jackson  was  his  devoted 
friend.    They  were  kindred  spirits. 

REV.    WILLIAM    HUME. 

The  first  Presbyterian  organization  in  Nashville  was  a 
little  congregation  of  Scotch  seceders  gathered  about  the 
close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  To  them  in  1801  came  the 
Rev.  William  Hume,  of  Scotland,  sent  out  by  the  Scotch 
Presbytery  of  Kirkaldy.  He  preached  in  a  small  brick 
building  near  the  site  of  the  University  of  Nashville,  which, 
I  believe,  still  stands.  His  congregation  was  small,  his  sal- 
ary was  meager,  his  circumstances  were  narrow,  yet  he 
continued  faithfully  his  ministry  to  them  with  self-sacrificing 
devotion  until  1818,  when  he  united  with  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  United  States  and  most  of  his  congregation 
followed  him,  uniting  with  this  First  Presbyterian  Church. 
For  fifteen  years,  until  his  death  in  1833,  he  served  churches 
near  Nashville,  and  he  frequently  filled  the  pulpit  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church.  For  many  years  he  was  a  dis- 
tinguished teacher.  He  was  Professor  of  Ancient  Lan- 
guages in  Cumberland  College,  afterwards  known  as  the 
University  of  Nashville ;  after  that  Principal  of  the  Nashville 
Female  Academy  until  his  death. 

Mr.  Hume  was  one  of  the  wise  master  builders  who 
laid  the  foundation  of  Presbyterianism  and  of  education  in 
Nashville.  Born  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  August  15,  1770; 
educated  in  the  University  of  Edinburgh,  trained  in  the 
strictest  school  of  Scotch  theology,  he  was  a  thorough 
scholar  and  an  able  minister  of  the  Word  of  God.  While 
he  was  bold  and  firm  in  the  defense  of  the  truth,  yet  he  was 
a  man  of  broad  and  catholic  spirit,  and  in  his  daily  life  he 
was  gentle  and  humble  as  a  little  child. 

For  nearly  a  third  of  a  century  he  lived  in  this  city, 
an  accomplished  teacher,  a  generous  philanthropist,  a  cul- 
tured gentleman,  and  he  so  bore  himself  that  he  won  the 

-75- 


confidence  and  love  of  all  classes  of  the  community,  and 
was  known  as  "the  good  man  of  Nashville." 

REV.  GIDEOlSr  BLACKBURN. 

We  next  come  to  the  great  organizer  of  churches,  the 
Rev.  Gideon  Blackburn,  D.D.,  teacher  and  preacher,  the 
Chrysostom  of  the  pioneer  pulpit — one  of  the  most  eloquent 
orators,  most  zealous  workers  and  devoted  ministers  of  the 
gospel  who  ever  wrought  for  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

Born  in  Augusta  County,  Virginia,  in  1772,  in  his  boy- 
hood he  came  with  his  family  to  Tennessee  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  noted  school  of  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  Doak.  Hav- 
ing studied  for  the  ministry,  he  was  licensed  by  the  Abing- 
don Presbytery  in  1792  or  1795.  He  had  charge  of  two 
churches  in  East  Tennessee,  but  with  his  heart  afire  with 
the  love  of  Christ,  he  went  about  in  all  the  neighboring  coun- 
try preaching  and  organizing  churches,  and  often  he  went 
from  place  to  place  armed  with  his  trusty  rifle  and  march- 
ing with  companies  of  soldiers,  who  guarded  the  land  from 
sudden  incursions  of  Indians. 

Wherever  he  went  he  won  the  sturdy  pioneers  by  his 
genial,  gracious  manner,  and  by  his  wonderful  gift  of  elo- 
quence. He  not  only  organized  churches,  but  he  strove  to 
evangelize  the  Indians,  and  established  schools  among 
them,   which   were   quite   successful. 

In  181 1  Mr.  Blackburn  came  to  Middle  Tennessee  and 
took  charge  of  the  Harpeth  Academy  at  Franklin,  where 
he  remained  teaching  and  preaching  for  twelve  years. 
As  was  his  custom,  he  ranged  widely,  preaching  at  various 
points  in  a  radius  of  fifty  miles,  and  organizing  churches. 
Often  on  Friday  evening  after  school  hours  he  would  mount 
his  horse  and  dash  off  twenty  miles  to  one  of  his  five  preach- 
ing places  and  there  administer  the  communion,  preach  five 
or  six  times  and  be  back  in  his  classroom  early  Monday 
morning.     It  is  said  that  at  one  of  these  communion  occa- 

-76- 


sions  three  thousand  persons  were  present  and  forty-five 
were  received  into  the  church. 

It  was  while  he  was  teaching  at  Franklin  that  he  made 
Nashville  one  of  his  preaching  points.  Beginning  in  the 
spring  of  1811,  at  first  he  )came  only  once  in  every  three 
months,  then  monthly,  and  at  length  semi-monthly.  In 
November,  1814,  probably  on  Sunday  the  thirteenth  day 
of  the  month,  he  organized  this  church  and  continued  sup- 
plying it  semi-monthly  until  1818  or  1819. 

In  1823  he  left  Tennessee  and  became  successively  pas- 
tor in  Louisville,  and  Versailles,  in  Kentucky,  and  President 
of  Centre  College  in  Kentucky.  In  1833  he  removed  to 
the  State  of  Illinois,  where  he  died  in  1838.  His  ministry 
in  Nashville  extended  over  a  period  of  seven  or  eight  years. 
At  first  his  congregations  gathered  in  the  open  air,  in  a 
grove  near  the  Public  Square,  on  the  Sabbath.  His  preach- 
ing on  week  days  was  in  Mr.  Hume's  building.  The  tra- 
ditions of  his  oratory  represent  it  as  overwhelming  in  its 
power  and  eflfectiveness. 

His  personal  appearance  was  remarkably  impressive. 
Over  six  feet  in, height  and  finely  proportioned,  his  bearing 
was  distinctly  military.  His  features  were  prepossessing, 
dominated  by  an  eye  large  and  penetrating,  which  could 
express  every  emotion  of  the  soul  within.  His  voice  was 
rich  and,  silvery  and  could  thrill  with  passion  or  soothe  with 
tenderness.  His  gestures  were  graceful  and  expressive. 
His  sermons  were  carefully  studied,  but  delivered  extem- 
poraneously with  fire  and  energy.  His  greatest  power 
was  in  word-painting,  so  that  scenes,  and  events  under  his 
magic  touch  lived  and  moved  before  enraptured  hearers, 
who  forgot  time,  place  and  circumstances  in  looking  upon 
the  vivid  pictures.  Governor  Brown  and  Colonel  Ready, 
who  had  heard  the  great  orators  of  the  American  Con- 
gress, Clay  and  Webster,  Preston  and  Prentiss,  have  told 
me  that  Dr.  Blackburn  was  the  most  eloquent  orator  they 

-77— 


had  ever  heard.  In  his  intercourse  with  others  he  was 
courteous,  affable,  but  always  dignified,  even  stately. 
Above  all  else  he  was  interested  in  leading  souls  to  Christ 
and   in  their  living  righteous  lives. 

REV.    ALLEN    DITCHFIELD    CAMPBELL. 

The  first  regularly  installed  pastor  of  this  church  was 
the  Rev.  Allen  Ditchfield  Campbell,  D.D.  Born  in  England, 
he  came  at  an  early  age  with  his  parents  to  Baltimore, 
where  he  was  brought  up.  Graduating  at  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  he  studied  for  the  ministry  of  the  Asso- 
ciated Reformed  Church,  in  which  he  was  licensed  in  1815. 
Soon  afterward  he  joined  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  in 
1820  he  became  the  pastor  of  this  church.  For  seven  years 
he  did  his  Lord's  work  in  much  suffering  from  frequent 
attacks  of  illness.  In  1827  he  resigned  the  pastorate.  He 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Western  Theological  Semi- 
nary at  Allegheny,  Pa.,  and  for  a  time  taught  some  of  its 
classes.    He  died  in  1861. 

Dr.  Campbell  was  an  earnest  preacher  of  the  Word,  sim- 
ple, clear  and  devout.  Of  his  preaching  it  could  be  said 
that  "the  common  people  heard  him  gladly."  Hie  was  ex- 
ceedingly hospitable  and  generous  in  his  helpfulness  to 
theological  students  and  to  his  brethren  in  the  ministry. 

REV.     OBADIAH     JENNINGS,    D.D. 

In  1828  the  Rev.  Obadiah  Jennings,  D.D.,  was  installed 
pastor  of  this  church.  His  pastorate  lasted  only  four  years 
until  his  death  in  1832,  but  by  his  profound  intellect  and 
logical  power,  his  sermons,  although  generally  read,  made 
a  positive  and  deep  impression  on  the  members  of  the  con- 
gregation and  upon  the  men  of  the  community  generally. 

Dr.  Jennings,  the  son  of  a  Presbyterian  minister,  was 
born  in  1778  at  Basking  Ridge,  N.  J.  Manifesting  remark- 
able powers  of  mind,  he  was  given  a  finished  education.  He 
studied  law  and  won  a  high  reputation  at  the  bar  in  Penn- 

-78- 


sylvania  and  Ohio.  He  did  not  unite  with  the  church  until 
he  was  32  years  old.  He.  continued  to  practice  law  with 
great  success,  but  feeling  called  of  God  to  the  ministry,  he 
was  licensed  to  preach  in  181G.  After  serving  churches  in 
Ohio  and  Pennsylvania  for  eleven  years,  he  was  called  to 
this  church.  In  his  brief  pastorate  of  four  years  he  labored 
with  zeal  and  faithfulness,  and  his  influence  was  felt 
throughout  the  regions  around  the  city.  In'  1830  he  was  un- 
expectedly drawn  into  a  public  debate  with  Rev.  Alexander 
Campbell,  one  of  the  founders  of  the  present  body  known 
as  the  Christian  Church.  Mr;  Campbell  was  a  very  able  man 
and  a  skillful  debater,  but  he  found  in  Dr.  Jennings  "a  foe- 
man  worthy  of  his  steel,"  whose  legal  training  fitted  him 
for  the  debate. 

Dr.  Jennings  was  a  man  of  sweet  and  lovely  spirit.  In 
his  intercourse  with  others  he  was  genial,  frank,  witty,  ani- 
mated and  sprightly  in  conversation,  yet  never  violating  the 
proprieties  which  bind  a  gentleman  and  a  minister.  He 
died  January  12,  1832,  and  the  house  of  worship,  completed 
in  1816,  was  destroyed  by  fire  two  weeks  later,  while  draped 
in  mourning  for  the  beloved  pastor. 

His  funeral  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  William 
Hume,  who  was  to  follow  him  to^'heaven  in  the  next  year. 

REV.    JOHN   TODD   EDGAR,   D.D. 

We  come  next  to  Rev.  John  Todd  Edgar,  D.D.,  clarum 
et  venerahile  nomen.  In  my  youth  he  was  my  ideal  of  a  true 
minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  my  old  age  my  memory 
holds  his  image  as  primus  inter  pares  of  all  the  great  preach- 
ers I  have  known.  With  him  begin  my  personal  recollec- 
tions of  the  pastors  of  this  church,  and  I  must  crave  par- 
don if  the  remainder  of  this  paper  shall  take  the  form  large- 
ly of  reminiscences  of  that  noble  company  with  whom  I  was 
associated  in  the  work  of  the  Lord  in  this  city. 

Dr.  Edgar  was  wonderfully  eloquent  in  the  pulpit ;  in 
the  pastorate  he  was  tender  and  gracious.     In  all  his  rela- 

-79— 


tions  with  the  world  he  was  the  accomplished,  genial  gentle- 
man; in  his  personal  life  he  was  the  humble  and  devoted 
Christian. 

For  twenty-seven  years  he  went  in  and  out  before  this 
people,  winning  the  love  and  commanding  the  respect,  yea 
veneration,  of  all  classes  in  this  city  from  the  highest  to 
the  humblest. 

He  was  born  in  D'elaware  in  1792  and  was  taken  with 
his  father's  family  to  Kentucky  in  1795.  He  studied  theol- 
ogy at  Princeton,  graduating  in  1816.  He  served  churches 
in  Kentucky  with  increasing  reputation.  After  a  six  years' 
pastorate  in  the  capital  city,  Frankfort,  he  accepted  the 
call  of  this  church  in  1833.  Here  his  lifework  was  done, 
ending  with  his  death  on  November  13,  i860,  at  the  age  of 
68  years  and  7  months.  The  elements  which  went  to  make 
the  success  of  Dr.  Edgar  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel  were 
distinct  and  marked  of  all'  men.  Physically  he  was  a  splen- 
did type  of  symmetrical,  virile  manhood.  His  body  was 
finely  proportioned,  being  somewhat  above  the  average 
height.  His  face  mobile  and  quick  to  respond  to  every 
change  of  feeling,  with  an  eye  of  dark  hazel  that  could  flash 
with  enthusiasm  or  melt  in  tenderness,  was  one  of  the 
most  potent  aids  to  his  oratory.  His  voice  of  extraordinary 
compass  and  sweetness  by  its  witchery  and  melody  at  once 
gained  and  held  attention.  When  he  was  a  young  minister 
at  Frankfort,  Ky.,  Mr.  Clay,  prince  of  American  orators, 
was  asked  who  of  his  contemporaries  was  the  greatest  ora- 
tor. His  answer  was,  "Go  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Frankfort  and  you  will  hear  him." 

In  i860,  just  a  few  months  before  his  death,  he  was 
commissioner  with  Hon.  Henry  Cooper  to  the  General  As- 
sembly in  Rochester/ N.  Y.  When  the  Assembly  adjourned, 
Mr.  Cooper  invited  the  doctor  to  take  a  trip  with  him 
through  New  England  and  Canada.  They  spent  Sunday 
in  Boston,  and  the  doctor  was  asked  to  preach  in  one  of 

-80- 


Dr.   Paul  F.  Eve,   Sr. 

Elder    1860-69;    1870-77. 


the  largest  churches  of  that  city.  Mr.  Cooper  told  me  that 
the  "Old  Man  Eloquent"  was  at  his  best,  and  as  he  stood 
before  that  large  audience  and  without  notes  poured  out 
the  treasures  of  the  gospel  in  tones  of  silvery  sweetness,  the 
people  were  literally  spellbound.  And  when  he  preached  at 
night,  in  the  same  place,  not  only  was  the  church  packed, 
but  the  street  in  front  and  the  windows  were  crowded  with 
eager  listeners. 

I  had  known  him  from  my  boyhood,  for  occasionally  he 
took  a  vacation  of  a  few  days  and  spent  it  with  my  father 
in  deer  hunting.  On  these  occasions  he  would  preach  on  the 
Sabbath  in  the  courthouse,  for  the  village  church  could  not 
contain  the  congregation.  I  remember  the  profound  im- 
pression made  on  me  on  one  of  these  occasions.  My 
father's  associate  elder.  Major  Strong,  a  soldier  of  the 
Revolution,  then  90  years  old,  sat  in  the  judges'  stand  by  the 
preacher,  and  the  doctor,  speaking  of  the  frailty  of  life,  laid 
his  hand  on  the  "good  gray  head"  and  repeated  the  words 
of  the  Psalmist,  "The  days  of  our  years  are  threescore  years 
and  ten,  and  if  by  reason  of  strength  they  be  fourscore 
years,  yet  is  their  strength  labor  and  sorrow,  for  it  is  soon 
cut  off  and  we  fly  away."  It  was  done  so  gracefully  and  so 
graciously  that  the  whole  congregation  was  moved  to  tears. 

He  was  noted  for  his  reading  or  reciting  of  hymns- 
The  last  time  I  heard  him  preach  he  repeated  the  lines — 

"In  that  lone  land  of  deep  despair 

No  Sabbath's  heavenly  light  shall  rise," 

with  thrilling  effect.  The  desperate  loneliness  of  that  dark 
world  seemed  reproduced  in  the  mournful  cadences  of  his 
voice.  Indeed,  I  have  heard  of  some  of  the  congregation 
saying  that  the  choir  should  not  try  to  sing  a  hymn  after  he 
had  read  it.  And  Dr.  Robert  Breckinridge  stated  that  when 
a  committee  was  preparing  a  new  hymn  book  they  had  to 
appoint  another  reader,  for  Dr.  Edgar's  reading  made  the 

—81- 


most  commonplace  hymn  beautiful.  In  every  service  when 
I  have  heard  him  he  read  the  whole  hymn,  and  the  congre- 
gation sang  it  then  with  the  spirit  and  the  understanding. 

Dr.  Edgar's  piety  was  of  the  robust  type  and  he  was  apt 
to  call  things  by  plain  names.  On  one  occasion  a  man  who 
was  already  ready  to  report  unpleasant  things  met  the  doc- 
tor on  the  street  and  said,  "I  heard  one  of  your  brethren 
in  the  ministry  say  that  Presbyterians  believe  that  there  are 
infants  in  hell  not  a  span  long.  What  do  you  say  to  that  ?" 
The  answer  came  with  energy,  "It  is  an  unfeathered  lie  and 
nobody  but  a  fool  would  believe  it." 

When  I  was  examined  for  licensure,  the  Presbytery  took 
time  and  had  me  on  the  grill  for  three  hours  a  day  for 
three  days.  Dr.  Edgar  examined  me  in  theology  and  he 
was  so  clear  in  his  questioning  that  I  could  answer  nearly 
every  question  in  the  words  of  the  Shorter  Catechism.  But 
one  of  the  ministers  seemed  anxious  either  to  expose  my 
ignorance  or  show  oflf  his  learning,  so  he  plied  me  with  all 
sorts  of  difficulties,  much  to  the  doctor's  disgust.  At  length 
the  question  was  put,  "If  I  were  to  say  to  you  that  if  God 
predestinates  men  to  salvation,  then  a  man  is  not  respon- 
sible for  his  acts,  and  God  is  unjust  to  condemn  him,  what 
would  you  answer?"  Dr.  Edgar,  out  of  patience,  spoke  up, 
"He  ought  to  answer,  'Who  art  thou,  O  fool,  that  re- 
pliest  against  God  ?'  "  When  the  examination  was  con- 
cluded the  doctor  moved  that  it  be  sustained,  and  that  the 
Presbytery  vote  its  thanks  to  this  boy's  mother  as  his  best 
teacher  of  theology. 

He  was  a  strenuous  Calvinist,  and  stood  for  the  Biblical 
order  that  the  man  must  rule  in  the  church  and  in  the  home. 
Yet  he  rendered  the  most  chivalrous  deference  to  woman 
as  the  most  devoted  follower  of  Christ  and  the  queen  of  the 
home.     Man  the  head,  woman  the  heart. 

I  remember  a  piece  of  practical  advice  he  gave  me  when 
I  was  licensed.     "My  boy,  the  women  will  be  your  most 

-82— 


efficient  helpers  in  the  church,  so  pay  them  all  respect,  but 
remember  you  are  to  be  the  head,  and  don't  kiss  any  female 
between  six  and  sixty  unless  she  is  close  kin  to  you,"  a  rule 
I  observed  for  nearly  fifty  years,  but  now  so  many  of  those 
whom  I  baptized  and  received  into  the  church  andi  married, 
gather  about  me  with  their  children  and  grandchildren  that 
they  seem  close  kin  as  my  own  children.  But  I  must  not 
take  up  all  the  time  on  this  grand  old  man.  He  was  dig- 
nified yet  genial,  witty,  approachable  and  the  very  soul  of 
hospitality. 

On  the  evening  of  November  13,  i860,  he  conducted  a 
service  in  this  church,  and  returning  to  his  home  was  sud- 
denly stricken  by  the  messenger  of  death  and  entered  into 
the  presence  of  the  Lord.  So  great  was  the  sense  of  public 
loss  that  the  law  courts  suspended  their  sittings  and  the 
business  houses  were  closed  by  proclamation  of  the  Mayor 
during  the  funeral  service.  In  184*2  he  was  Moderator  of 
the  General  Assembly. 

REV.    JOSEPH    BARDWELL. 

In  1859  Rev.  Joseph  Bard  well  was  called  as  associate 
pastor  with  Dr.  Edgar  and  became  sole  pastor  after  the 
death  of  the  doctor.  But  after  the  occupation  of  the  city 
by  the  Federal  forces  he  went  South  and  his  connection  with 
this  congregation  ceased.  Dr.  Bardwell  was  a  strong 
preacher  of  the  gospel,  inclined  to  be  metaphysical  in  his 
presentation  of  the  truth  but  earnest,  clear  and  deeply  spir- 
itual. He  was  afterwards  Professor  of  Theology  in  the 
Southwestern   Presbyterian   University. 

For  three  years  the  church  building  was  used  by  the 
Federal  Army  for  hospital  purposes. 

REV.  ROBERT  F.   BUNTING,  D.D. 

After  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  the  Rev.  Robert  F. 
Bunting  D.D.,  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church 
and  he  continued  his  labors  until  November  15,  1868.     He 

-83- 


was  a  man  of  intense  energy  and  specially  adapted  to  the 
work  of  gathering  and  reorganizing  the  members  of  the 
First  Church,  scattered  by  the  war.  He  had  been  Chaplain 
of  a  noted  Texas  cavalry  regiment  and  had  shared  the 
hardships  and  dangers  of  his  men  in  carnp,  on  the  march 
and  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  he  brought  the  same  zeal  and 
activity  into  the  service  of  the  church.  He  was  indefati- 
gable in  visiting  and  in  looking  after  the  temporal  interests 
of  the  church.  He  was  a  good  preacher,  but  it  was  in 
organizing  the  activities  of  the  congregation  that  his  genius 
was  manifest. 

As  an  example  of  the  impression  made  by  his  activity, 
when  the  General  Assembly  met  in  this  church  in  1867,  an 
old  brother  from  a  rural  congregation,  who  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  amble  along  at  an  easy  pace,  was  anxious  to  have 
an  interview  with  Dr.  Bunting,  but  could  never  find  him 
at  home  nor  in  the  study.  Finally  he  wearily  asked  another 
brother  how  to  get  Dr.  Bunting.  The  answer  was,  "Stand 
on  this  corner  half  an  hour  and  you  will  see  him."  "Why, 
does  he  make  this  corner  a  special  stopping  place?"  "Oh, 
no,  but  he  passes  every  corner  in  the  city  every  thirty  min- 
utes." 

The  Texas  people  were  devoted  to  Dr.  Bunting  because 
of  his  ministry  to  their  soldiers  during  the  war,  and  so  he 
was  called  to  the  church  in  Galveston  in  1868,  where  he 
remained  until  he  had  built  up  a  strong  church.  He  was 
afterwards  financial  agent  of  the  Southwestern  Presby- 
terian University,  and  finally  was  pastor  at  Gallatin,  Tenn., 
where  he  died  suddenly. 

REV.  THOMAS  VERNER   MOORE,  D.D. 

The  Rev.  Thomas  Verner  Moore,  D.D.,  pastor  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Richmond,  Va.,  was  Mod- 
erator of  the  General  Assembly  that  met  in  this  church  in 
1867.  He  made  so  profound  an  impression  on  all  our  peo- 
ple that  when  Dr.  Bunting  resigned  he  was  called  to  this 

-84— 


pastorate.  He  had  been  pastor  in  Richmond  for  over  twen- 
ty years,  but  he  accepted  the  call  to  Nashville  and  began 
his  work  in  December,  1868,  continuing  until  his  death  in 
August,  1871.  A  great  deal  of  the  time  he  was  in  feeble 
health,  and  had  to  spend  the  winters  in  Florida,  yet  I  have 
never  known  a  brief  ministry  to  exercise  so  wide,  perma- 
nent and  beneficent  an  influence.  His  personality  impressed 
all  who  came  in  contact  with  him.  He  seemed  surrounded 
by  an  atmosphere  of  holiness,  yet  there  was  nothing  sancti- 
monious or  puritanical  about  him.  He  was  genial,  compan- 
ionable, warm-hearted,  sympathetic.  He  seemed  to  have 
the  spirit  of  the  beloved  disciple  John,  gentle,  patient,  gra- 
cious. 

His  preaching  was  very  attractive.  He  wrote  his  ser- 
mons, and  yet  his  reading  was  apparently  as  free  as  extem- 
poraneous speech.  His  style  was  highly  rhetorical,  a  model 
of  clear,  beautiful  English.  He  sought  to  edify  by  careful 
exposition  of  the  scriptures  and  these  expositions  were 
deeply  spiritual  in  application.  He  had  published  valuable 
expositions  of  scripture. 

While  his  physical  health  was  delicate  and  his  body  frail, 
yet  his  face  was  bright  with  a  heavenly  beauty  and  this 
congregation  loved  him  devotedly. 

I  was  impressed  by  his  wisdom  in  counsel.  He  would 
listen  patiently,  advise  gently  and  bear  the  burdens  of  others 
with  deep  sympathy. 

He  was  a  thoroughly  manly  man,  and  like  all  Johanine 
men,  he  was  capable  of  sudden  flashes  of  indignation.  A's 
an  example,  when  he  came  he  was  put  on  the  Committee  on 
Home  Missions,  of  which  I  was  Chairman.  I  confess  I 
looked  up  to  him,  not  only  with  reverence,  but  with  awe. 
We  had  been  anxious  to  secure  a  city  missionary,  and  I  had 
secured  the  salary  and  had  it  in  bank.  I  wrote  to  a  youno- 
man  just  about  to  finish  his  course  in  the  seminary,  who 
had  worked  for  us  during  his  vacation,  and  who  knew  the 

-85- 


field.  I  urged  him  to  answer  at  once.  I  received  a  long 
letter  saying  he  would  consider  it  as  an  indication  of 
providence  and  would  prayerfully  consider  the  matter.  Then 
he  took  up  four  pages  exhorting  me  to  pray  the  Lord  of  the 
harvest  to  send  laborers  into  His  harvest.  I  was  angry, 
and  just  then  met  Dr.  Moore,  and  asked  him  to  go  to  his 
study  with  me.  I  handed  him  the  letter  and  he  read  it 
slowly  with  growing  wrath.  Then  he  gave  it  back  to  me 
with  the  remark,  "That  is  the  kind  of  letter  to  make  a 
preacher  swear.  Drop  that  fellow  at  once  and  let  us  get 
somebody  with  more  sense  and  less  gush."  I  understood 
him  better  after  that  interview. 

At  last  this  saintly  man  lay  for  weeks  slowly  fading 
away  into  the  eternal  glory  and  his  sick  chamber  was  a 
center  of  love  and  prayer  from  which  went  forth  gracious 
influences  to  comfort  and  bless  his  people. 

For  several  months  after  Dr.  Moore's  death  the  pulpit 
was  supplied  by  the  Rev.  J.  E.  Wheeler,  of  Vicksburg,  Miss., 
a  young  man  of  fine  culture  and  ability. 

REV.  HENRY  J.  VAN  DYKE,  D.D. 

In  1872  the  Rev.  Henry  J.  Van  Dyke,  D.D.,  was  called 
from  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  He  began  his  labors  in  February, 
but  after  a  few  Sabbaths  the  condition  of  his  wife's  health 
made  it  necessary  for  him  to  take  her  to  Europe,  and  as  she 
did  not  improve,  he  resigned  and  went  back  to  his  former 
charge.  He  was  never  formally  installed  over  this  con- 
gregation. 

REV.    THOMAS   A.    HOYT,   D.D. 

In  1873  the  Rev.  Thomas  A.  Hoyt,  D.D.,  was  called,  and 
he  began  his  work  here  on  February  i,  continuing  pastor 
until  May,  1883.  He  had  been  pastor  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  but  during  the  Civil  War 
he  was  sent  away  by  the  Federal  authorities  and  was  for- 
bidden  to   preach.     Going  to   New   York  he   engaged   in 

—86— 


business,  and  when  he  was  permitted  again  to  preach  he 
did  mission  work  in  the  city,  while  continuing  in  business 
to  support  his  family,  all  the  while  anxious  for  a  church  in 
the  South  that  could  give  him  a  living.  For  ten  years  he 
did  his  work  here  with  distinguished  ability,  finally  giving 
up  on  account  of  failing  health.  He  afterwards  became 
pastor,  serving  for  many  years  the  Chambers  Church  in 
Philadelphia. 

Dr.  Hoyt  was  a. man  of  splendid  presence,  being  six  feet 
three  inches  in  height  and  large  in  proportion.  He  was 
an  impressive  speaker,  a  gifted  orator.  H'is  sermons  were 
carefully  prepared  but  delivered  without  notes.  His  preach- 
ing was  largely  theological,  strong,  clear,  logical  and  ele- 
gant in  diction.  He  spoke  with  energy  and  zeal.  He  was 
popular  as  a  pastor,  especially  with  the  plain  people. 

Dr.  Hoyt  was  a  man  of  fine  and  extensive  literary  cul- 
ture. In  1880  he  was  Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly 
that  met  in  Charleston,  S.  C. 

REV.     JERE     WITHERSPOON,    D.D. 

After  Dr.  Hoyt's  resignation  the  pulpit  was  supplied  for 
nearly  a  year  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Fitzgerald,  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  In  March,  1884,  the  Rev.  Jere  Witherspoon,  D.D., 
came  from  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  began  his  work  in  this 
church.  For  over  ten  years  he  was  in  labors  most  abundant 
and  won  the  devoted  love  of  the  whole  congregation.  He 
accepted  a  call  in  1893  from  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Baltimore,  Md.  Afterwards  he  was  pastor  of  the  Grace 
Street  Presbyterian  Church,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  until  his 
death,  a  few  years  ago. 

Dr.  Witherspoon's  preaching  was  largely  emotional. 
He  was  a  man  of  tender  sympathies,  warm  in  his  aflFections, 
earnest  and  zealous  in  his  love  for  the  Saviour  and  for  the 
souls  of  men.  One  of  his  gifts  that  made  him  effective  as 
a  pastor  was  his  remarkable  memory  of  faces  and  names. 
He  seemed  never  to  forget  any  person,  however  casual  the 

-87- 


meeting  might  have  been.  In  sickness  or  distress  of  any 
kind  he  was  Barnabas,  the  Son  of  Consolation.  And 
so  his  sermons,  delivered  in  a  voice  of  sweetness  and  mel- 
ody, brought  comfort  to  weary  hearts  and  encouraged  them 
under  life's  burdens  and  warfare. 

One  feature  of  his  character  that  aided  in  his  work  was 
his  exquisite  sense  of  humor.  He  not  only  saw  the  bright 
side  of  things,  but  he  could  laugh  off  imaginary  troubles  in 
view  of  their  comic  side. 

He  was  quickly  responsive  to  the  sympathies  of  his 
brethren,  and  was  absolutely  free  from  envy  or  jealousy. 
Once,  after  a  very  exhausting  winter's  work,  I  saw  that  he 
needed  a  period  of  rest  before  his  regular  vacation  in  the 
summer,  so  I  went  to  several  of  the  elders  and  told  them 
they  must  send  him  away  for  a  while.  With  generous  lib- 
erality they  consented  and  provided  for  all  expenses.  When 
I  told  him  what  was  done,  and  also  told  him  that  we  all  felt 
he  had  done  a  great  work  for  the  church,  his  eyes  filled 
with  tears  and  he  said,  "I  didn't  know  my  brethren  felt  that 
way  about  me."  It  encouraged  him  wonderfully.  One 
more  incident  to  show  how  dependent  he  was  on  the  love 
of  his  people :  In  going  to  Baltimore  he  was  anxious  as  to 
whether  he  could  win  the  love  there  which  enveloped  him 
here,  and  he  said  in  his  family,  "I  am  afraid  that  I  can't 
win  their  love."  H5s  little  son  replied,  "Why,  father,  if 
you  should  go  to  Lapland  they  would  gather  about  you  to 
get  warm."     So  he  lived  loved  and  loving  to  the  end. 

REVS.   DRS.  VANCE  AND  ANDERSON. 

After  Dr.  Witherspoon's  resignation  in  1893  this  pulpit 
has  been  filled  by  two  great  preachers,  Drs.  Vance  and 
Anderson,  who  are  here  to  speak  for  themselves.  It  would 
be  ungracious  in  me  here  to  characterize  their  ministry  fur- 
ther than  to  say  that  they  have  worthily  maintained  the 
great  traditions  of  this  pulpit,  and  to  wish  that  they  may  live 
long  to  preach  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ's  gospel. 

-88- 


RkV.    JdSI.I'll     llAKnWKI.I. 
Pastor    1861-1S64. 


CHARACTERISTICS. 

May  I  call  attention  to  some  special  marks  of  the  Pres- 
byterian preachers  of  the  earlier  days  which  are  not  so 
emphasized  today? 

1.  Their  abounding  hospitality.  They  kept  open  house. 
Dr.  Edgar  spent  his  own  and  his  wife's  patrimony  largely 
in  entertaining  guests  and  in  charity. 

2.  Their  solemn  sense  of  their  responsibility  for  souls. 
Spiritual  and  eternal  verities  were  very  real  to  them. 

3.  Their  personal  dignity.  It  was  not  unbending  and 
austere,  but  they  were  genial  in  social  intercourse,  still  their 
constant  engagement  with  spiritual  interests  lifted  them 
above  the  frivolities  of  the  day.  Now,  changed  conditions 
make  the  old-time  hospitality  impossible,  and  there  has  been 
introduced  into  the  pulpit  a  levity  that  often  lowers  its  tone. 

There  was,  especially  in  the  South,  in  those  days  a  rev- 
erence and  respect  for  the  ministry  as  a  holy  calling  that 
tended  to  promote  personal  dignity.  If  I  may  be  pardoned 
a  personal  reference,  I  was  associated  for  four  years  with 
Confederate  soldiers.  I  camped  with  them,  marched  with 
them  and  went  into  battle  with  them.  I  was  hungry  with 
the  hungriest,  ragged  as  the  raggedest,  yet  I  was  always 
The  Parson,  and  the  profanest  soldier  would  not  allow  an 
oath  in  my  presence,  and  the  whole  regiment  would  have 
resented  any  personal  disrespect  to  me.  Respect  for  woman- 
hood and  reverence  for  the  ministry  of  the  gospel  were  in 
the  fiber  of  the  Southerner's  makeup. 

I  would  just  as  soon  have  slapped  General  Wash- 
ington or  General  Lee  on  the  back  and  call  them  "Old 
Fellow,"  as  to  have  attempted  the  same  familiarity  with  Dr. 
Edgar  or  Dr.  Moore.  They  knew  how  to  be  companionable 
and  gracious  and  yet  maintain  respect  for  their  calling. 


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CHAPTER  VI. 


PERSONAL  REMINISCENCES  OE  MY  NASHVILLE 

PASTORATE. 

By  Rev.  William  M.  Anderson,  D.D. 

My  friends,  it  is  with  deep  and  commingled  emotions 
that  I  stand  before  you  tonight  on  this  platform  of  one  of 
the  historic  churches  of  North  America.  I  am  standing  in 
the  capital  city  of  my  native  State.  My  mother,  my  father 
and  my  wife  are  all  native  Tennesseans.  Three  of  my 
seven  sons  were  born  in  Tennessee. 

"Breathes  there  a  man  with  soul  so  dead, 
Who  never  to  himself  hath  said 
This  is  my  own,  my  native  land." 

My  father  graduated  here  about  sixty  years  ago,  with 
the  degree  of  A.M.  from  the  old  University  of  Nashville, 
presided  over  by  that  princely  and  distinguished  scholar 
Dr.  Philip  Lindsley.  I  gave  nine  of  the  best  years  of  my 
life  to  the  pastorate  of  this  church.  My  sixth  son  died  dur- 
ing my  pastorate  here.  My  seventh  son  was  born  here  at 
the  manse  at  the  rear  of  the  church.  I  repeat  my  opening 
sentence,  that  I  appear  before  you  tonight  with  deep  and 
commingled  emotions. 

I  hope  you  realize  that  I  confront  a  very  difficult,  delicate 
duty.  If  I  say  too  much  I  will  be  accused  of  bragging; 
if  I  say  too  little  you  may  conclude  I  did  nothing  during 
my  nine  years'  stay  in  this  city.  I  therefore  ask  your 
patient,  kindly  attention  while  I  recount  some  of  the 
reminiscences  of  my  work. 

-90- 


1.  I  think  it  will  be  in  order  first  to  give  some  of  the 
facts  taken  from  my  private  register.  While  your  pastor 
I  delivered  1,920  sermons,  lectures  and  addresses;  the  ses- 
sion received  1,130  members;  I  performed  336  baptisms, 
officiated  at  453  marriages  and  held  387  funerals.  During 
that  time  the  church  expended  an  estimated  amount  of 
$175,000.  I  sincerely  hope  that  more  was  accomplished 
than  is  indicated  by  these  figures.  They  seem  small  as  we 
look  at  them,  but  by  the  time  a  pastor  wades  through  the 
work  involving  the  amount  of  service  indicated  by  these 
figures  he,  at  least,  is  conscious  of  having  been  reasonably 
busy  all  the  while. 

2.  I  think  you  will  be  interested  in  some  comments 
on  the  special  epochs  in  the  religious  work  of  the  congrega- 
tion and  of  the  city  during  this  time. 

The  greatest  event  that  happened  during  my  experience 
here  was  the  Student  Volunteer  Convention.  At  this  time 
4,188  delegates  from  the  700  schools,  colleges  and  universi- 
ties of  the  United  States  and  Canada  met  in  their  first  great 
convention  in  the  South.  I  served  as  Chairman  of  the 
Ministers'  Committee  and  also  as  Chairman  of  the  Ladies' 
Entertainment  Committee.  I  worked  as  best  I  knew  how 
for  more  than  three  months  preparatory  to  this  conven- 
tion. The  city  of  Nashville  has  a  right  to  be  proud  of  its 
accomplishments  during  this  time.  We  were  asked  to  en- 
tertain, on  the  Harvard  plan,  3,000  delegates.  Five  days 
before  the  convention  we  were  able  to  wire  the  New  York 
office  that  we  had  homes  requested  for  the  3,000.  Thev  did 
us  the  compliment  of  immediately  wiring  us  to  secure  homes 
for  1,000  more.  It  was  no  little  task  to  get  this  citv  to  see 
and  realize  the  vision  and  entertain  the  4,188  delegates  as 
indicated  above.  It  took  a  combination  of  every  sort  of 
plan  to  attain  this  end.  For  example,  the  woman's  com- 
mittee would  meet,  with  myself  as  Chairman  and  Mr. 
Southam,   the   Executive   Secretary   from   the   New   York 

-91- 


office,  present.  The  roll  would  be  called  and  reports  given 
as  to  the  progress  being  made  in  securing  homes.  The 
name  of  some  church  would  be  called,  and  a  timid  little 
woman  would  rise  and  say,  "Dr.  Anderson,  you  asked  our 
church  to  entertain  twenty-five,  and  we  have  been  able  to 
secure  homes  for  only  nineteen."  I  would  then  say,  "All 
you  ladies  turn  and  look  at  this  lady.  Don't  you  think  she 
could  get  twenty-five  homes  if  she  would  try?"  They  would 
all  say  they  thought  so,  and  I  would  then  ask  her  if  she 
didn't  think  it  best  to  try  again,  and  she  would  answer, 
"I'll  do  my  best  again."  This  scene  was  repeated  many, 
many  times,  with  the  successful  results,  as  above  stated. 
One  lady  of  the  McKendree  Church  met  me  on  the  street 
and  said,  "Dr.  Anderson,  is  your  committee  crazy?  The 
idea  of  asking  our  church  to  entertain  250 !"  I  answered, 
"My  dear  friend,  be  very  humble  and  patient  or  we  may 
ask  you  to  entertain  350."  This  First  Presbyterian  Church 
actually  entertained  more  than  400  delegates.  That  con- 
vention was  a  sight  worth  seeing.  Frequently  during  its 
sessions  I  have  seen  this  entire  Fifth  Avenue  crowded  from 
fence  to  fence  with  eager  young  people,  hurrying  from 
Church  Street  to  the  Ryman  Auditorium.  Just  before 
the  convention  I  secured  from  the  Chief  of  Police  the 
privilege  of  saying  to  the  dififerent  squads  of  policemen, 
as  opportunity  oflFered,  a  few  words  as  to  what  they  could 
do  to  help  make  the  convention  a  success.  I  tried  to  in- 
spire them  by  telling  them  of  the  courtesy  and  full  informa- 
tion given  by  the  London  police.  And  after  the  convention 
was  closed  and  the  delegates  gone,  a  number  of  the  police- 
men commented  to  me  favorably  upon  the  high  character  of 
the  delegates  and  their  good  humor  and  the  uniform  good 
order. 

Another  special  epoch  was  the  Torrey-Alexander  meet- 
ing, which  continued  for  a  month.  The  Pastors'  Associa- 
tion of   the  city  appointed  a  committee  of  nine,  naming 

-92- 


myself  as  Chairman,  to  interview  Dr.  Torrey,  then  in 
Atlanta,  regarding  his  coming.  I  went  down  and  told  my 
beloved  friend,  Mr.  John  W.  Thomas,  Jr.,  of  our  appoint- 
ment, and  that  I,  with  authority,  had  named  him  also  a 
member  of  the  committee,  and  that  I  desired  that  he  take 
his  private  car  and  convey  the  committee  to  Atlanta  and  ac- 
complish the  purpose  of  its  appointment.  He  laughingly 
declined  the  appointment,  but  touched  a  button  that  brought 
in  Mr.  Robert  Saunders,  his  chief  clerk,  and  said,  "Bob, 
give  Dr.  Anderson  anything  he  wants.'''  I  received  a 
round-trip  pass  for  the  entire  comimittee  to  Atlanta  and 
return.  Dr.  Torrey  and  his  helpers  came  and  a  great 
work  was  acomplished.  Many  of  you  will  remember  how 
Dr.  Torrey  spoke  to  great  crowds  of  men  every  day  at  noon 
for  two  weeks  at  this  church  with  marked  effect. 

When  Dr.  George  W.  Truett,  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  of  Dallas,  held  a  meeting  in  this  city,  he  spoke  every 
day  at  noon  in  this  church.  Great  crowds  of  men  came  to 
hear  him  and  were  deeply  moved  by  his  earnest  eloquence. 
Dr.  John  Balcom  Shaw,  then  of  Chicago,  now  of  Los 
Angeles,  held  a  meeting  in  East  Nashville  and  spoke  with 
tremendous  power  to  great  congregations  of  men  at  the 
noon  hour  in  this  church. 

3.  I  can  hope  to  give  only  a  few  of  my  experiences 
while  here.  During  that  time  I  formed  some  of  the  warm- 
est friendships  of  my  life,  which  will  continue  into  eternity. 
While  here  I  performed  many  happy  marriages  and  was 
always  glad  to  make  happy  people  happier  by  this  event. 
Many  times  I  was  greatly  saddened  by  the  death  of  beloved 
friends.  Out  of  the  387  funerals  which  I  held,  84  were  past 
70  years  of  age;  of  this  number  30  were  past  80  years  of 
age ;  of  these  2  were  past  90  years  of  age. 

My  experience  with  relation  to  my  officers  was  riglit 
remarkable.  When  I  came  I  found  16  elders  and  14  dea- 
cons in  active  service.     During  my  stay  5  additional  elders 

-93- 


and  12  additional  deacons  were  elected.  Of  this  number 
only  two  died  during  my  pastorate — Deacons  John  Hill 
Eakin  and  John  C.  Kennedy.  Both  were  very  valuable  and 
efficient  men. 

While  here  I  conducted  many  services  .of  many  different 
kinds.  On  one  Sunday  I  took  part  in  eight  services,  but  I 
do  not  care  to  repeat  that  experience,  as  I  was  a  little  tired 
that  night.  I  sought  to  render  all  sorts  of  service  to  reach 
and  influence  the  various  forces  of  this  city  and  draw  some 
of  them  to  attend  our  church,  with  what  effect  some  of  you 
will  remember. 

When  I  came  here  the  St.  Andrews  Church  for  the 
colored  people  was  worshiping  in  a  little  rented  room  on 
the  corner  of  Gay  and  Spruce  Streets.  Mrs.  Sarah  Brad- 
ford, the  mother  of  the  Hon.  J.  C.  Bradford,  was  deeply 
interested  in  this  work,  and  although  I  was  not  on  the 
Committee  of  the  Colored  Evangelism,  she  kept  me  going 
until  the  present  property  of  the  church  was  the  outcome. 
Many  of  you  will  remember  the  noble  work  of  the  Woman's 
Guild  of  this  church,  how  it  conducted  many  "garbage  sales" 
and  used  any  and  every  legitimate  device  to  get  money  to 
help  this  congregation.  My  heart  was  deeply  interested 
in  Rev.  Spencer  Jackson,  who  has  nobly  worked  among  the 
colored  people  of  this  city. 

I  had  many  very  interesting  experiences  in  personal 
work  which  I  would  like  to  relate  to  you,  but  they  are  too 
sacred  to  be  mentioned.  If  I  should  tell  much  about  them 
some  of  you,  at  least,  would  recognize  who  they  are.  I 
have  used  them  with  marked  efifect  at  other  places  when 
recounting  my  experiences. 

While  here  I  purposed  to  preach  the  whole  gospel  and 
endeavored  to  present  the  great  doctrines  of  our  church, 
clothed  in  the  form  of  practical  evangelism.  I  did  not  try 
to  hold  up  before  you  a  skeleton  showing  only  the  bones, 
but  life's  actual  ideals  of  truth  as  revealed  in  the  life  and 
teachings  of  Christ. 

-94- 


4.  My  most  marked  experience  during  my  stay  in  Nash- 
ville was  my  dreadful  illness,  which  occurred  December 
21,  1907.  Some  of  you  will  doubtless  remember  it.  It  was 
the  greatest  sorrow  that  ever  came  to  my  family  and  the 
greatest  blessing  that  ever  came  into  my  life.  My  devoted 
mother  and  wife  looked,  as  they  thought,  for  the  last  time 
on  my  face  alive,  but  through  the  providence  of  God  and 
the  help  of  Drs.  Buckner,  Bailey,  Witherspoon  and  Wood, 
the  help  of  the  nurses  and  the  prayers  of  more  friends  than 
I  thought  I  ever  had,  my  life  was  spared  and  I  am  still  at 
work.  Permit  me  to  outline  two  events  that  happened  at 
that  time.  Through  your  kindness  my  wife  and  I  were  sent 
to  Florida  for  an  indefinite  stay.  After  three  weeks  she 
returned  and  I  remained  two  months.  Shortly  after  my 
return  one  day  on  the  street  a  Jewish  lady  stopped  me  and 
took  my  hand  and  said,  "Oh,  Dr.  Anderson,  I  am  so  glad 
to  see  you  back  and  yourself  again.  If  ever  we  Jews  prayed 
for  anybody,  we  prayed  for  you."  A  little  later  when  the 
State  Fair  of  the  colored  people  was  being  started,  I  called 
Mr.  Joseph  H.  Thompson  and  suggested  that  he  and  I  go 
out  and  visit  the  fair  to  encourage  its  promoters.  We  went 
and  were  most  graciously  received.  When  we  were  shown 
through  the  various  departments  and  came  to  the  woman's 
building,  the  colored  woman  who  had  charge  of  it  recog- 
nized us  both  and  called  our  names,  and  then  said  to  me, 
"Oh,  Dr.  Anderson,  I  am  so  glad  you  are  well  again!  If 
ever  we  colored  people  prayed  for  anybody,  we  prayed 
for  you."  These  two  experiences  greatly  humbled  and  at 
the  same  time  encouraged  me.  A  few  weeks  ago  in  Dallas 
a  traveling  man  came  up  and  said,  "I  want  to  shake  your 
hand,  for  the  last  time  that  I  was  in  your  church  at  Nash- 
ville was  the  Sunday  that  they  thought  you  were  dying, 
and  the  service  seemed  like  a  funeral."  I  want  to  bear 
testimony  tonight  to  my  gratitude  to  God  for  this  expe- 
rience. 

-95- 


There  are  some  peculiar  incidents  connected  with  my 
pastorate  here  that  will  be  worth  while  to  note.  It  was  my 
second  time  to  succeed  Dr.  Jere  Witherspoon,  with  one 
man  coming  between  us.  When  he  left  Jackson,  Tenn., 
Dr.  Nail  followed  him  for  seven  years,  and  then  I  was 
called.  When  he  left  this  church  Dr.  Vance  followed  him 
for  five  years,  and  then  I  was  called. 

When  I  came  to  be  your  pastor  I  was  pleased  to  find 
here  as  one  of  your  deacons  Dr.  William  Bailey,  a  college 
friend.  I  had  received  courtesies  from  some  of  your  offi- 
cers, Mr.  Throne,  Mr.  Raymond,  Dr.  Blanton  and  Dr. 
Plunket  and  others,  and  had  been  associated  most  pleasantly 
in  Y.  M.  C.  A.  conventions  with  Mr.  Harry  A,  Myers. 

I  was  glad  to  become  the  pastor  of  my  greatly  admired 
friend,  Mrs.  Gates  P.  Thruston,  and  hear  her  sing.  As  a 
college  boy  I  sat  in  the  back  seat  of  this  auditorium  one 
night  when  every  seat  was  taken  and  heard  her  sing  "Only 
an  Armor  Bearer,"  at  a  great  Y.  M.  C.  A.  rally.  Being  a 
lover  of  music  I  enjoyed  her  singing,  which  seemed  a  re- 
producing of   Neilson's  great  voice. 

When  I  accepted  your  call  I  was  accepting  my  third  call 
to  Nashville.  When  I  finished  my  course  of  study  I  was 
asked  to  take  charge  of  the  Second  Church.  Later  on 
I  was  called  and  thought  I  was  going  to  be  pastor  of  the 
Woodland  Street  Church,  but  Presbytery  declined  to  let 
me  come. 

One  especially  attractive  anticipated  pleasure  was  my 
being  associated  again  with  my  beloved  friends,  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  J.  H.  McNeilly.  He  had  been  my  mother's  pastor 
when  I  was  5  years  old,  and  I  was  in  her  Sunday  school 
class.  At  that  early  age  her  sweet  smile  left  an  indelible 
impress  on  my  memory  and  I  greatly  enjoyed  the  intimacy 
of  our  association  during  my  work  here,  and  I  lament  to- 
night, with  thousands  of  her  friends  in  this  city,  our  loss, 
but  rejoice  in  her  gain,  in  her  entrance  to  her  heavenly 
home. 

-96- 


Rev.   R.   F.  Bunting,   D.D, 

Pastor    1 865- 1 868. 


I  recognized  that  in  the  student  bodies  of  Ward  Semi- 
nary and  Belmont  College  there  were  great  opportunities 
for  service.  I  greatly  enjoyed  preaching  Sunday  after 
Sunday  to  the  splendid  body  of  students  that  came  from 
these  two  and  other  institutions. 

5.  This  resume  of  experiences  would  not  be  complete  if 
I  did  not  recount  some  of  the  humorous  incidents  that  hap- 
pened. You  will  remember  we  had  a  Chinese  Sunday 
school.  You  will  remember  one  of  them,  Lee  Bow,  cut  off 
his  cue,  let  his  hair  grow  and  dressed  like  an  American, 
and  was  a  sort  of  leader  among  them.  Mrs.  Clare  was  for 
many  years  a  devoted  member  of  this  church,  also  de- 
voted to  her  pastor,  whoever  he  might  be.  One  day  she 
met  Lee  Bow  on  the  street  and  said,  "Lee  Bow,  do  you 
know  our  new  minister?"  "Yes — Yes — Yes."  "Do  you 
ever  see  him?"  "Yes — ^Yes — Yes."  "Etoes  he  ever  come 
to  your  Sunday  school?'"  "Yes — 'Yes — Yes,  he  come  to  the 
Sunny  Skul,  and  b-e-a-t  on  de  pee-anner  and  h-o-l-l-e-r." 

One  day  the  house  was  very  full,  the  services  had  begun, 
I  had  just  announced  the  first  hymn,  the  choir  had  risen 
to  sing,  when  an  old  lady  cloaked  in  black,  whom  I  had 
never  seen  before,  and  have  not  seen  since,  rose  from  this 
right  hand  block  of  pews  and  approached  the  pulpit  and 
beckoned  to  me,  and  I  came  to  the  edge  of  the  platform. 
She  whispered  in  loud  tones,  "You  don't  preach  long,  do 
you?"  I  said,  "No,  not  very  long."  "Never  over  an  hour, 
is  it?"  I  said,  "Never  over  an  hour,  madam."  And  she 
went  back  and  sat  down. 

One  Sunday  I  saw  a  well-dressed  woman,  whom  I  had 
met  elsewhere,  and  whom  I  knew  to  be  eccentric,  enter  the 
church  and  sit  on  a  chair  away  back  by  the  door.  I  always 
invite  strangers  to  come  and  meet  me,  and  that  morning 
she  came  and  said,  "I  want  to  ask  you  one  question.  Why 
is  this  old  Presbyterian  Church  worshiping  in  an  Egyptian 
temple?"     I  said,  "Madam,  you  have  answered  your  own 

-97— 


question.  It  is  a  Presbyterian  church  and  not  an  Egyptian 
temple."  "It  is."  "It  isn't."  "It  is."  "It  isn't."  I  said, 
"Madam,  it  was  not  conceived  by  an  Egyptian  architect,  it 
was  not  builded  by  an  Egyptian  contractor,  it  is  not  in 
Egypt,  it  has  no  Egyptian  members,  I  am  not  an  Egyptian ; 
therefore,  it  is  not  an  Egyptian  temple."  She  said,  "Did 
you  build  it?"  I  said,  "Oh,  no,  madam,  it  was  built  before 
I  was  born,  and  possibly  before  you  were  born."  At  this 
she  became  very  angry,  turned  and  hurried  away. 

One  of  the  older  devoted  members  of  the  church  one  day 
said  to  me,  "We  have  been  very  fortunate  in  this  church ;  we 
have  had  an  unbroken  line  of  great  men  as  pastors.  Dr. 
Edgar  was,  perhaps,  the  greatest  man  we  ever  had.  He 
was  a  great  preacher,  a  profound  theologian  and  a  powerful 
philosopher,  but  since  he  died  they  have  been  getting  worse 
and  worse,"  and  I  am  not  the  last. 

Shortly  after  I  became  pastor  frequently  I  was  greeted 
with  this  remark,  "You  remind  us  so  much  of  Dr.  Wither- 
spoon."  When  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Witherspoon  came  back  on 
a  visit  the  ladies  of  the  church  gave  them  a  beautiful  largely 
attended  reception.  Many  of  the  older  ladies  kissed  him  in 
their  joy  at  seeing  their  beloved  ex-pastor.  I  approached 
a  company  of  young  matrons  and  said,  "They  say  I  remind 
them  of  Dr.  Witherspoon,  but  they  do  not  kiss  me."  One 
of  the  young  matrons  replied,  "Please  step  out  in  the  hall 
a  moment." 

6.  I  cannot  close  this  already  too  extended  talk  without 
acknowledg'ing  my  gratitude  and  appreciation  for  your 
kindness  and  goodness  to  me  and  mine  while  we  were  among 
you.  You  gave  me  a  trip  to  Europe,  and  the  benefit  and 
experiences  of  that  trip  I  would  not  part  with  for  any 
amount  of  money.  You  gave  me  two  trips  to  Florida 
for  rest  and  recreation.  Twice  while  I  was  with  you  you 
raised  my  salary,  and  you  gave  innumerable  tokens  of 
love  to  me  and  mine  which  we  can  never  forget.     I  sin- 

-98~ 


cerely  thank  you  as  a  congregation  for  your  help  with  my 
beloved  boys.  Many  of  you,  in  ways  that  you  do  not  realize, 
contributed  to  their  development  in  character.  My  oldest 
son,  now  a  pastor  in  the  same  city  where  I  minister,  says 
that  his  work  with  the  Christian  Endeavor  Society  of  this 
church  did  more  to  help  him  to  learn  to  think  and  speak  on 
his  feet  than  any  other  single  external  element  that  came 
into  his  life.  I  especially  desire  to  thank  you  for  your  great 
kindness  to  my  beloved  mother.  She  was  an  affectionate 
nature  and  greatly  appreciated  every  evidence  of  your 
thoughtfulness  and  affection.  It  is  so  easy  for  those  ad- 
vanced in  years  to  be  forgotten,  and  their  channels  of  joy 
cut  off.  And  this  congregation  seemed  never  to  forget  my 
mother.  And  if  you  had  never  done  anything  else  for  me 
and  mine  during  my  stay,  I  would  be  under  an  everlasting 
debt  of  gratitude  for  your  kindness  to  her. 

I  humbly  apologize  for  consuming  so  much  of  your 
time,  and  I  regret  to  have  wearied  you  with  so  much  detail, 
but  I  could  talk  to  you  for  hours  along  these  lines.  I  thank 
you  most  sincerely  for  your  attention. 


-99- 


CHAPTER  VII. 


THE  CHURCH  OFFICERS  AND  THEIR  WORK. 
By  James  D.  Plunket,  M.D. 

To  put  into  narrative  form  the  personnel  and  work  of 
the  officers  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Nashville 
fori  the  one  hundred  years  ending  November  14,  1914,  nec- 
essarily involves  much  painstaking  and  discriminating  effort 
in  collecting,  weighing,  digesting  and  systematically  ar- 
ranging a  large,  varied  and  tangled  mass  of  data  and  detail 
from  many  sources,  and  determining  as  to  what  should  and 
what  should  not  be  embraced  in  the  story. 

The  occasion  which  calls  for  this  review  and  the  object 
sought  in  its  preparation  alike  place  special  emphasis  upon 
plainness  of  speech,  as  "an  honest  tale  speeds  best  being 
plainly  told,"  and  upon  that  good  old  English  word,  "brev- 
ity" ;  therefore,  the  writer  shall  strive  to  heed  both  sugges- 
tions and  be  thus  guided  in  what  is  to  follow. 

The  Bunting  Manual  of  1868  and  the  historical  memo- 
randa to  be  found  in  the  Church  Manual  for  191 1,  pages 
23-33,  we  shall  regard  as  authentic,  for  no  doubt  much  that 
is  there  stated,  particularly  that  portion  that  refers  to  events 
in  the  church's  history  prior  to  1832,  when  all  the  church 
records  were  destroyed,  was  obtained  from  those  having 
personal  cognizance  of  the  facts  and  who  were  living  at 
the  time  (1865)  when  these  memoranda  were  made. 

We  shall,  therefore,  so  deal  with  these  statements,  using 
them  both  liberally  in  the  preparation  of  this  review. 

—100— 


BEFORE  CHURCH   ORGANIZATION. 

That  we  may  have  a  suitable  background — a  foundation, 
as  it  were,  upon  which  to  base  properly  what  is  to  follow — 
it  is  deemed  best  that  a  glance  be  taken  backward  at  some 
of  the  religious  and  social  conditions  existing  in  this  locality 
just  prior  to  the  organization  of  our  own  church.  At  irreg- 
ular times,  for  twenty-five  or  thirty  years,  religious  services 
had  been  held  in  the  Cumberland  settlements  in  and  near 
Nashville,  or  "Nashboro,"  as  for  a  time  it  was  called;  the 
earliest  record  goes  back  to  1785.  To  the  eastward,  how- 
ever, in  the  more  settled  portions  of  the  State,  Heiskell  says, 
"as  early  as  1790  a  cordon  of  Presbyterians  stretched  from 
Watauga  to  Nashville,  and  by  1797  there  were  twenty-five 
Presbyterian  congregations  in  Tennessee."^ 

At  this  period  the  struggling  little  borough  of  Nashville 
was  still  well  out  on  the  frontier,  having  but  few  people, 
and  but  little  communication  with  the  outer  world ;  Fulton's 
steamboat  had  just  begun  to  claim  attention  down  East;  the 
railroad,  the  telegraph  and  the  telephone,  not  to  speak  of 
the  aeroplane,  were  still  undreamed  of;  and  even  the  mails 
— if  such  they  can  be  called — were  irregular  and  uncertain, 
a  week  or  more  often  intervening  between  the  arrival  and 
the  departure  of  a  single  mail.  This  isolation,  however, 
proved  in  some  ways  beneficial,  as  the  individuals  of  the 
community  were  thereby  drawn  closer  together,  all  being 
made  to  feel  an  interdependence  and  to  recognize  the  under- 
lying fact  that,  at  least  for  the  time  being,  their  several  in- 
terests, general  welfare  and  even  personal  safety  were 
bound  up  together. 

Therefore,  the  most  conspicuous  tenet  in  the  creed  of 
the  little  community  naturally  was,  "Trust  in  God  and  keep 
your  powder  dry." 

As  Nashville  grew  througli  immigration  and  material 
prosperity,  the  mental  horizon  of  its  inhabitants  enlarged, 

^Pioneer  Presbyterianism  in  Tennessee,  p.  21. 
—101- 


thieir  faith  increased  and  a  religious  spirit  developed  among 
them;  and  when,  in  the  fullness  of  time,  the  hour  arrived 
for  the  religious  elements  to  assume  a  more  definite  form 
than  had  existed  in  the  settlements  up  to  this  time,  it  is 
gratifying  to  note  that  the  Presbyterians  among  them 
promptly  stepped  out  and  took  position  as  such. 

CHURCH  ORGANIZED. 

It  was  on  Monday  morning,  and  after  the  hour  when  all 
the  household  duties  of  the  forenoon  had  been  completed, 
that  here  and  there  an  individual,  mostly  women,  could  be 
seen  coming  from  the  different  sections  of  the  village  and 
wending  their  way  toward  the  courthouse  (located  on  the 
Square),  where  by  appointment  the  meeting  was  to  be  held. 
It  was  a  notable  gathering  this,  and  while  all  seemed  serious 
and  determined,  not  one  of  them  realized;  in  any  measure 
the  importance  of  the  step  they  were  about  to  take — its 
influence  upon  Presbyterianism  in  Nashville,  Middle  Ten- 
nessee, and,  indeed,  truthfully  may  be  added,  the  South, 
particularly  the  Southwest,  and  its  effects  upon  unborn  gen- 
erations throughout  this  immediate  section.  Truly,  "they 
builded  better  than  they  knew." 

After  an  earnest  prayer  by  Rev.  Mr.  Gideon  Blackburn, 
the  meeting  was  called  to  order  and  its  object  stated,  and 
upon  roll  call  the  following  answered  "present" :  Mrs. 
Andrew  Ewing,  Mrs.  Mary  McNairy  (wife  of  Frank  Mc- 
Nairy,  Sr.),  Mrs.  Josiah  Nichol,  Mrs.  Tom  Talbot  and  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Sophia  Hall  (wife  of  Elihu  S.  Hall),  Mrs. 
Margaret  L.  Anderson  (wife  of  Col.  Patton  Anderson, 
United  States  Army),  and  Mr.  Robert  Smiley  (whom  they 
at  once  elected  ruling  elder) — six  women  and  one  man, 
in  toto. 

After  discussing  for  an  hour  or  more  and  agreeing 
upon  all  the  necessary  and  usual  features  of  such  a  pro- 
ceeding, the  Rev.  Dr.  Robert  Henderson,  who  was  also 
present  and  assisting,  offered  a  closing  prayer,  when  the 

—102— 


little  company  adjourned  and  went  forth,  having  thus  fully 
organized  the  Nashville  Presbyterian  Church  on  Novem- 
ber 14,  1814. 

Subsequently,  as  the  denomination  increased  in  num- 
bers and  strength,  and  other  Presbyterian  churches  became 
necessary  and  were  organized  in  the  community,  it  was 
called  "The  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Nashville,"  and 
it  is  now  so  designated,  officially,  in  its  charter. 

About  this  time  there  began  a  tide  of  emigration  from 
the  States  of  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina  and  Virginia 
toward  the  West,  particularly  toward  the  Cumberland  Set- 
tlements, and  Nashville,  as  a  consequence,  increased  some 
in  population.  Several  writers  have  estimated  that  the 
village  about  this  period  had  from  nine  hundred  to  thir- 
teen hundred  inhabitants.  U(p  to  this  time  the  religious 
people  of  the  community  were  compelled  to  hold  their  pub- 
lic services  in  the  courthouse,  which  at  best  was  small  in 
floor  space  and  otherwise  illy  suited  for  public  religious 
gatherings,  but  when  the  weather  would  permit  the  woods 
adjacent  to  the  Square  were  used,  and  especially  was  this 
the  case  on  Sundays,  when  the  congregations  were  largest. 

The  subject  had  been  before  suggested  and  discussed 
in  no  enthusiastic  way,  but  now  it  was  more  pointedly  agi- 
tated and  urged  that  a  meeting  house  be  constructed  for 
general  religious  uses.  After  a  time  the  matter  took  definite 
shape,  when  a  committee,  appointed  for  the  purpose,  made 
a  successful  nondenominational  canvass  of  the  people  and 
received  subscriptions  sufficient  to  justify  proceeding  at 
once  with  the  building.  These  subscriptions  were  taken  with 
the  distinct  understanding  that,  while  the  building,  when 
completed,  was(  to  be  placed  under  the  control  of  the  Pres- 
byterians, it  was  to  be  open  to  all  denominations  When  not 
used  by  the  Presbyterians. 

FIRST    CHURCH    BUILDING. 

The  subscriptions  above  alluded  to  were  made  in  the 
—103— 


spring,  but  the  work  on  the  church  building  was  not 
actually  begun  until  late  in  the  fall  of  1811  or  early  in 
1812,  two  years  before  the  organization  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Nashville.  A  very  disastrous  fire,  how- 
ever, occurred  a  short  time  after  this  beginning  was  made, 
and  came  near  becoming  the  despair  of  the  community. 
The  fire  destroyed  the  entire  business  center  of  the  town, 
burning  all  the  storehouses  on  each  side  of  Market  Street 
from  the  Square  south  to  the  first  alley,  where  was  then 
located  what  was  later  called  "The  St.  Charles  Hotel,"  one 
of  the  leading  hostelries  of  the  place.^  As  a  consequence, 
business  depression  prevailed,  money  became  close,  and  the 
subscriptions  made  for  the  purpose  of  building  the  church 
were  paid  slowly,  or  not  at  all  in  some  cases;  the  work 
of  construction  came  to  a  standstill — indeed,  for  a  time 
the  effort  seemed  on  the  point  of  being  wholly  abandoned. 
Two  years  had  now  passed  and  the  people  of  the  com- 
munity had  largely  adjusted  themselves  to  the  trying  con- 
ditions occasioned  by  the  fire ;  the  town  had  quieted  down 
and  was  gradually  assuming  its  normal,  the  Nashville 
Presbyterian  Church  had  just  been  organized  and  was  ex- 
pecting to  become  the  chief  beneficiary  when  the  proposed 
church  building  was  completed.  From  this  time  on  Ruling 
Elder  Robert  Smiley  gave  the  matter  his  close  personal 
attention,  and,  with  great  tact,  energy  and  pertinacity  of 
purpose,  did  succeed,  after  a  time,  in  rekindling  public 
interest  and  effort.  The  construction  was  resumed,  and  by 
the  fall  of  18 16  the  edifice  was  sufficiently  advanced  for  the 
congregation  to  move  to  it  from  the  courthouse  (where  up 
to  this  time,  as  before  stated,  the  services  had  been  held), 
and  henceforward  they  held  all  their  religious  exercises 
in  the  new  house.  The  structure  was  a  substantial  brick 
building  of  plain  but  neat  design,  45  by  80  feet,  with  no 
basement,   and   had   a  seating  capacity  of   four   hundred. 


^Old  Times  in  Nashville,  by  Miss  Jane  H.  Thomas,  p.  36. 
—  104- 


James   .M.   Hamilton, 

Elder    1867-1895. 


It  was  located  on  the  corner  of  what  was  then  called  Spring 
Street,  but  later  known  as  Church  Street,  and  Summer 
Street,  now  called  Fifth  Avenue — the  same  site  as  that  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church  today.  The  building  faced 
west  on  Summer  Street,  with  a  side  entrance  on  Church 
Street.  The  pulpit  was  unique  and  would  be  a  curiosity 
among  us  today.  The  design  was  circular  in  form  and 
quite  narrow.  "It  could  scarcely  hold  three  men  standing 
up.  .  .  .  The  minister's  head  was  fifteen  feet  above 
the  congregation."  Possibly  the  pattern  had  come  down 
to  our  forbears  from  those  sturdy  reformers  who  resisted 
Spanish  tyranny  on  the  dikes  and  sand  dunes  of  Holland  in 
the  sixteenth  century.  It  was  constructed  high  on  the 
south  wall  and  was  entered  by  a  spiral  stairway  on  each 
side,  with  a  window  in  the  rear  for  light. 

Now  that  a  duly  appointed  and  permanent  church  house 
had  been  secured,  a  sense  of  relief  and  of  thankfulness  and 
gratitude  to  God  ipervaded  the  entire  membership  in  an 
unusual  degree,  and  there  was  developed  a  determination, 
much  above  the  ordinary,  that,  for  the  future,  every  proper 
effort  should  be  put  forth  to  advance  the  Kingdom  of  God 
among  men,  "beginning  first  at  Jerusalem"  This  determi- 
nation has  grown  stronger  all  down  the  century,  and  is 
today  the   leading  characteristic  of  this   congregation. 

From  the  beginning  the  church's  influence  and  member- 
ship steadily  but  slowly  grew,  and  there  was  every  evi- 
dence that  this  little  church  was  indeed  "a  vine  of  God's 
own  planting,"  and  that  it  had  a  definite  mission. 

TITLE   TO    CHURCH    LOT. 

Up  to  this  time  a  very  important  and  necessary  feature 
—one  quite  fundamental  and  urgent  in  its  character— had 
not  been  attended  to;  no  deed  liad  been  made  to  the  lot 
upon  which  the  church  edifice  was  built.  Since  the  com- 
pletion of  the  church  building  the  matter  had  no  doubt  more 
than  once  been  brought  up  and  discussed,  probably  urged. 

-105- 


by  Ruling  Elder  Robert  Smiley,  who,  naturally,  as  the  only 
officer  of  the  church  so  far  elected,  felt  sensibly  his  re- 
sponsibility as  such,  and,  therefore,  desired  to  close  up 
promptly  every  business  detail  of  the  affairs  of  the  church. 
Why  this  deed  had  not  been  made  does  not  appear  plain, 
unless  possibly  the  money  with  which  he  was  expecting  to 
pay  for  the  property  ($750)  was  slow  in  coming  into  the 
church  coflfers.  However,  on  May  i,  1823,  nine  years 
after  the  organization  and  seven  years  after  the  church 
building  had  been  built  and  first  occupied  by  the  congrega- 
tion, Randal  McGavock  made  the  long-delayed  deed  for 
the  lot  to  the  five  trustees  of  the  Nashville  Presbyterian 
Church,  naming  first  Ruling  Elder  Robert  Smiley,  and  then 
four  others,  all  members  of  the  church,  one  of  whom  was 
soon  afterwards  elected  an  elder,  and  later  the  third  named 
was  made  a  deacon — one  of  the  first  of  tliis  class  of  office- 
bearers yet  elected  by  the  congregation.  For  the  informa- 
tion and  convenience  of  all  those  desiring  it,  we  have  had 
photographed  and  framed  the  page  upon  which  is  recorded 
the  original  deed  in  the  Register's  office  in  the  courthouse; 
and  it  will  be  hung,  no  doubt,  in  some  convenient  place  in 
the  church  for  reference.  The  language  of  this  venerable 
and  interesting  document  is  as  follows : 

This  indenture,  made  this  first  day  of  May,  1823, 
between  Randal  McGavock,  of  Nashville,  of  the  one 
part,  and  Robert  Smiley,  Nathaniel  A.  McNairy,  Wm. 
M.  Berryhill,  John  Wright  and  David  Irwin,  who  are 
for  the  time  being  the  trustees  of  the  Nashville  Pres- 
byterian Church,  of  the  other  part:  Witnesseth  that 
the  said  Randal  McGavock,  for  and  in  consideration  of 
the  sum  of  $750  to  him  heretofore  paid,  the  receipt 
whereof  is  hereby  acknowledged,  and  for  other  good 
considerations  him  thereunto  moving,  hath  given, 
granted,  bargained  and  sold,  and  by  these  presents  doth 
grant,  bargain  and  sell,  convey  and  transfer  unto  the 

—106— 


said  Robert  Smiley,  Nathaniel  A.  McNairy,  William 
M.  Berryhill,  John  Wright  and  David  Irwin,  trustees 
of  the  Nashville  Presbyterian  Church,  and  their  suc- 
cessors in  office,  the  following  piece  or  parcel  of  land, 
being  part  of  lot  No.  78  as  distinguished  in  the  plan 
of  Nashville,  beginning  at  the  corner  of  said  lot  at 
the  intersection  of  Spring  Street  and  Summer  Street, 
running  thence  with  Spring  Street  toward  the  river 
half  the  distance  of  said  lot  on  Spring  Street  to  a  plug 
of  lead  put  in  a  rock,  thence  at  right  angles  through 
the  center  of  said  lot  to  an  alley  of  20  feet  leading 
from  Cherry  Street  to  Summer  Street,  thence  with 
said  alley  to  Summer  Street,  and  with  said  street  to  the 
beginning,  being  that  part  of  said  lot  on  which  is 
erected  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  the  small  brick 
house  belonging  to  the  Female  Bible  and  Charitable 
Society ;  to  have  and  to  hold  to  the  said  parties  of  the 
second  part  and  their  successors  in  trust  for  the  use 
and  benefit  of  said  Presbyterian  Church,  to  be  modified 
and  declared  by  said  trustees  and  their  successors  when 
lawfully  assembled,  and  especially  for  the  purpose  of 
having  thereon  a  meeting  house  for  the  Nashville  Pres- 
byterian congregation  of  Christians  to  worship 
Almiglity  God,  a  parsonage  or  other  house  for  him 
to  dwell  in  who  may  have  the  charge  of  said  church 
for  the  time  being,  and  such  buildings  incident  thereto 
as  the  trustees  may  end  or  direct — also  in  trust  that 
such  part  of  said  lot  as  contains  the  house  erected  for 
the  Female  Bible  and  Charitable  Society  as  has  been 
conveyed  to  said  society  by  a  former  Board  of  Trus- 
tees of  said  church  shall  be  and  inure  to  the  use  and 
purpose  expressed  in  said  deed.  And  the  said  Randal 
McGavock  covenants  that  he  will  at  any  other  time 
when  it  shall  be  deemed  necessary  to  make  any  other 
or  further  deed  to  carry  into  complete  effect  this  con- 

-107- 


veyance  for  the  purposes  herein  expressed,  and  that  he 
will  warrant  the  title  as  is  herein  expressed  for  the  pur- 
poses expressed  against  himself  and  his  heirs. 

In  testimony  whereof  said  Randal  McGavock  hath 
hereto  set  his  hand  and  seal  this  day  above  written. 

(Seal)     R.  McGavock. 

R.  O.  D.  C,  Book  Q.,  page  722. 

Since  the  text  of  the  above  deed  refers  specifically  to 
what  was  called  "The  Female  Bible  and  Charitable  So- 
ciety," it  may  not  be  amiss  to  say  here  a  word  or  two  as 
to  what  this  organization  was  and  to  tell  somewhat  of  its 
purpose  and  practices.  We  find  that,  as  its  name  indicates, 
it  was  composed  entirely  of  women,  and  in  a  general  sense 
may  be  said  to  have  been  primarily  educational  in  its  char- 
acter, Bible  study  being  particularly  emphasized.  They 
also  distributed  Bibles,  religious  tracts  and  other  religious 
literature  as  opportunity  oflfered  or  their  facilities  permitted. 
They  received  and  distributed  donations — articles  of  cloth- 
ing, bedding  and  food  to  the  poor — and  visited  and  assisted 
in  caring  for  the  sick  when  necessary.  And  there  was  still 
another  feature  of  this  society — one  of  great  importance 
and  far-reaching  and  uplifting  in  its  influence,  not  only  as 
seen  in  the  lives  of  its  members,  but  also  as  recognized  by 
the  general  community;  this  was  a  prayer  service  which 
they  held  every  Wednesday  afternoon,  and  to  which  each 
member  was  definitely  obligated  to  attend,  summer  or  win- 
ter, rain  or  sunshine,  nothing  excusing  but  actual  sickness 
or  absence  from  town.  It  was  generally  conceded  that  they 
relieved  a  great  deal  of  suffering  and  distress  and  other- 
wise exerted  a  wholesome,  restraining  influence  throughout 
tlie  town. 

Through  a  popular  .subscripition  the  members  were 
enabled  to  build  for  their  society  a  meeting  place,  which 
was  popularly  known  as  "The  Society  House."  This  struc- 
ture, a  one-story  brick  house  20  by  30  feet  in  size,  and  cost- 

—  108- 


ing  nearly  seven  hundred  dollars,  was  also  located  upon  the 
church  lot. 

THE  OFFICE  OF   RULING   ELDER. 

Before  beginning  the  consideration  of  the  official  record 
as  far  as  it  has  to  do  with  the  work  and  personnel  of  the 
office-bearers  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  may  we  not, 
just  here,  digress  a  moment  to  refresh  our  memories,  so  that 
we  shall  have  more  clearly  in  mind  what  the  nature  and 
character  of  the  eldership  is  and  what  their  duties  and 
responsibilities  are  to  the  given  congregation? 

The  eldership  is  a  scriptural  office  and  the  most  ancient 
and  the  most  permanent  of  any  in  the  church.  To  quote 
from  one  of  the  fathers  of  our  communion: 

"It  differs  from  the  ceremonial  and  typical  officers — 
those  of  the  prophets,  priests  and  kings  of  the  old  dispen- 
sations, which  prefigured  Christ  and  his  redemptive  work — 
and  from  the  extraordinary  and  temporary  offices  of  apos- 
tles, workers  of  miracles,  etc.,  of  the  new  dispensation, 
which  were  for  important  emergencies  and  for  temporal 
service.  It  differs  from  that  of  the  minister,  who  is  the 
representative  or  ambassador  of  God  to  preach  the  gospel, 
persuading  men  in  Christ's  stead  to  be  reconciled  to  God, 
and  who  presides  in  the  church  courts,  ordains,  administers 
the  sacraments  and  pronounces  the  benedictions.  And  it 
differs  from  the  office  of  deacon,  who  is  ordained  to  serve 
tables,  to  see  that  no  class  of  the  needy  or  poor  of  the 
church  is  neglected  in  the  daily  ministrations;  to  care  for 
the  real  estate  and  other  properties  of  the  church ;  to  attend 
to  the  collection  of  money,  the  payment  of  salaries  and  bills, 
the  care  of  the  buildings  and  the  preparation  of  them  for 
such  uses  and  at  such  times  as  are  determined  by  the  ses- 
sion. Througli  all  dispensations  the  functions  of  the  office 
of  ruling  elder  have  remained  essentially  the  same,  both 
in  character  and  work."^ 


'The  Ruling   Elder  at   Work,  by  Rev.   Aspinwall   Hodge,   D.D., 
pp.  2  and  3. 

—109— 


To  quote  further  from  this  father  in  Zion: 

"The  elders  exercised  their  functions  under  the  patri- 
archs, when  the  church  in  the  family  became  that  of  a  race 
in  bondage  in  Egypt;  when  delivered  and  entering  into 
covenant  with  God  at  Sinai;  when  wandering  in  the  wil- 
derness under  Moses;  conquering  their  possessions  under 
Joshua ;  disciplined  during  the  time  of  the  Judges ;  in  the 
undivided,  and  in  both  sections  of  separated  kingdoms  of 
Israel  and  Judah;  during  the  Babylonian  captivity;  at  the 
time  of  Christ's  ministry,  and  in  the  New  Testament  Church 
as  established  by  the  apostles."^ 

Volumes,  literally,  have  been  written  upon  the  topic  of 
the  ruling  elder — the  name,  the  nature  and  the  functions; 
and  we  feel  that  we  are  within  bounds  in  making  the  broad, 
general  statement  that  the  weight  of  authority  unquestion- 
ably holds  to  the  view  that  the  office  is  of  divine  origin, 
and,  therefore,  is  possessed  of  a  special  and  peculiar  dignity 
and  importance. 

A  number  of  eminent  Presbyterian  writers  here  in 
America  have  controverted  this  view,  and  today  there  exists 
a  well-defined  tendency  to  give  the  ruling  elder  a  lower  posi- 
tion than  that  given  him  in  the  Word  of  God,  which  fact, 
at  best,  only  brings  to  light  and  makes  plain  a  great  weak- 
ness in  our  Presbyterian  system,  since,  as  we  see  it,  the 
power  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  for  good  would  be  in- 
creased in  unlimited  measure  if  the  eldership  could  be 
brought  up  to  the  scriptural  standard,  because  our  sys- 
tem of  church  government  derives  its  strength  largely  from 
the  efficiency  of  the  eldership,  they  being,  as  some  one  has 
said,  "the  inspiration  of  the  church." 

Our  "Form  of  Government"  says :  "Ruling  elders  are 
properly  the  representatives  of  the  people,  chosen  by  them 
for  the  purpose  of  exercising  government  and  discipline,  in 


^The  Ruling  Elder   at  Work,  by  Rev.   Aspinwall   Hodge,   D.D., 
pp.  2  and  3. 

—110- 


conjunction  with  pastors  or  ministers.  This  office  has  been 
understood  by  a  great  part  of  the  Protestant  reform 
churches  to  be  designated  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  by  the 
title  of  governments  and  of  those  who  rule  well,  but  do 
not  labor  in  the  word  and  doctrine."  This,  therefore,  with 
us  cuts  off  all  debate,  since  it  is  the  deliverance  of  our  own 
General  Assembly  upon  the  subject. 

In  May,  1861,  while  in  session  at  Augusta,  Ga.,  our 
General  Assembly  reenacted  this,  along  with  the  several 
other  features  of  our  church  government,  in  withdrawing, 
as  it  did  at  that  time,  from  the  compact  existing  with  the 
Northern  Presbyterian  Church.  It  was  necessary  for  it  to 
be  thus  reenacted  by  our  General  Assembly  for  the  per- 
fecting of  the  independence  of  our  own  Southern  Pres- 
byterian Church,  and  to  give  it  efficiency,  and  to  set  forth 
the  General  Assembly's  interpretation  of  the  Holy  Scriptures 
as  to  what  the  ruling  eldership  is  or  may  become  in  our 
church.  By  its  terms  the  limitations  thus  placed  upon  the 
office  are  strictly  observed  now  and  have  been  since  its 
enactment  by  a  loyal  eldership  throughout  the  bounds  of 
the  Southern  Presbyterian  Churdh. 

In  resuming  at  this  point  the  consideration  of  the  official 
record  and  personnel  of  those  who  were  office-bearers  in 
the  First  Presbyterian  Qiurch  through  the  entire  century 
we  find  the  first  name  to  be  that  of  Robert  Smiley.  There- 
fore, there  belongs  to  him  the  distinction  of  having  been  not 
only  the  first  male  member  of,  but  also  the  first  elected 
officer  in,  the  infant  church,  and  he  is  further  distinguished 
for  having,  singly  and  alone,  served  the  congregation  seven 
out  of  the  nine  years  he  was  permitted  by  God  to  fill  the 
place  of  ruling  elder,  as  no  other  officer,  either  elder  or 
deacon,  was  elected  by  the  congregation  within  that  time. 

The  tribulations  so  often  accompanying  early  childhood 
in  other  fields  of  human  experience  were  not  wanting  here 
in  the  life  of  the  infant  church ;  on  the  contrary,  these  first 

-111— 


years  in  its  history  proved  to  be  a  trying  period  indeed, 
numerous  discouragements,  struggles  and  worry  arising 
chiefly  from  inherent  local  conditions  which  it  was  found 
impossible  to  remove  or  avoid. 

The  multiple  duties  and  responsibilities  of  this  office, 
therefore,  were  Robert  Smiley's,  and  largely  his  alone. 
Never  at  best  was  Ruling  Elder  Smiley  recognized  as  being 
a  very  robust  man,  but  the  contrary ;  and  being  of  a  nervo- 
sanguine  temperament,  he  was  earnest,  ardent  and  deter- 
mined in  his  nature,  and,  as  has  been  said,  "in  every  under- 
taking where  his  heart  was,  he  never  could  see  failure" — 
the  right  man  in  the  right  place,  unquestionably.  The  con- 
gregation had  learned  to  lean  heavily  upon  him  and  to  hold 
his  leadership  in  the  highest  esteem'.  Even  now,  though 
his  health  was  failing,  they  were  loath  to  make  division  of 
leadership;  yet  in  182 1,  seven  years  after  the  beginning, 
they  did  elect  two  others  as  ruling  elders,  James  Trimble^ 
and  Michael  C.  Dunn,^  who,  being  duly  ordained,  at  once 
entered  upon  their  duties. 

Ruling  Elder  Robert  Smiley^  was  of  Celtic  ancestry,  and 
was  himself  born  in  Ireland.  He  was  a  man  of  the  highest 
personal  integrity,  kind,  gentle  and  optimistic,  and  constitu- 
tionally religious.  He  commanded  the  respect  and  good  opin- 
ion of  all  who  knew  him.  Col.  Willoughby  Williams,  writing 
in  the  evening  of  a  long  life,  said:  "Robert  Smiley  was  a 
clever  Christian  gentleman,  and  one  of  the  best  citzens  of 
the  town."  And  a  granddaughter,  in  a  letter  dated  January 
3,  1914,  says:  "Grandfather  was  a  strict  Sabbatarian.  He 
permitted  no  work  of  any  kind  to  be  done  on  the  Sabbath 
day  unless  it  was  absolutely  necessary;  in  his  home  no 
cooking  was  allowed  on  that  day,  even  the  coffee  being 
made  on  Saturday  and  warmed  over  on  Sunday.  .  .  . 
His  upright,  saintly,  godly  character  has  always  been  a 
rich  heritage  to  his  descendants."^ 

*No  picture  of  him  obtainable. 

^Mrs.  George  S.  Bowling,  Clarksville,  Tenn. 

—112— 


Elder     1867-1895. 


A.   G.   Adams, 

Founder     of     the     Adams     Church. 


His  health  continued  to  decline,  and  so  far  spent  now 
were  his  physical  powers  that  during  the  last  twelve  to 
eighteen  months  of  his  official  life  he  was  unable  to  dis- 
charge the  duties  of  his  office;  and  on  September  15,  1823, 
while  still  in  his  early  manhood — at  the  age  of  40 — he 
fell  asleep.  Today,  awaiting  the  resurrection  morn,  he  lies 
buried  in  the  old  City  Cemetery,  on  South  Cherry  Street 
(now  Fourth  Avenue,  South),  southwest  comer  of  Oak 
Street. 

For  four  or  five  years  after  its  organization  the  congre- 
gation was  supplied  irregularly — once  or  twice  a  month — 
with  preaching  services.  The  membership  at  this  time  has 
been  estimated  to  have  been  about  forty-five.  In  the  process 
of  evolution,  however,  the  little  church,  as  a  sturdy  oak, 
grew  slowly  but  surely  in  its  membership  and  influence. 
About  this  time  or  soon  afterwards  Mrs.  Ann  Phillips 
Grundy,  wife  of  Felix  Grundy,  one  of  the  active,  leading 
members  of  the  flock,  made  a  happy  suggestion  that  a  church 
Sunday  school  be  organized ;  this  suggestion  was  adopted 
and  speedily  carried  into  execution.  Thus  was  provided 
an  agency  of  much  merit,  and  one  by  means  of  which  the 
pent-up  religious  zeal  and  denominational  enthusiasm  and 
the  loyalty  of  its  membership  were  greatly  increased  and 
intelligently  directed.  Prominent  among  the  names  of 
those  taking  part  in  the  preliminaries  looking  to  a  realiza- 
tion of  this  new  departure  we  find  those  of  Ruling  Elder 
Robert  Smiley,  Nathaniel  A.  McNairy  and  James  C.  Robin- 
son— the  last  two  named  being  elevated  to  the  eldership, 
of  the  church  soon  afterwards.  Subsequently  Ruling  Elder 
Robinson^  was  elected  by  the  session  the  Superintendent 
of  the  Sunday  school. 

In  1820  the  congregation  had  sufficient  confidence  in 
itself  to  make  the  venture — though  at  that  time  the  finan- 


*No  picture  of  him  obtainable. 
-113- 

8 


cial  outlook  was  not  very  encouraging  for  such  an  effort 
to  be  made  by  it — of  employing  a  pastor,  one  who  would 
devote  'his  whole  time  to  the  work  of  the  church.  The  step 
was  taken  and  the  employment  of  a  regular  pastor  was 
continued  for  the  succeeding  seven  years,  when,  in  the 
spring  of  1827,  a  growing  invalidism  in  the  pastor.  Rev. 
Allan  Ditchfield  Campbell,  D.D.,  necessitated  a  change.  A 
second  venture  was  made  in  the  spring  of  1828,  Rev.  Oba- 
diah  Jennings,  D.D.,  being  installed  as  pastor. 

Many  discouragements,  arising  from  various  causes, 
as  before  stated,  had  from  the  beginning  beset  the  path- 
way of  this  struggling  little  band  of  earnest  Christians, 
and  their  troubles  seemed  now  to  increase  in  strength  and 
numbers.  The  health  of  the  second  pastor  had  become  im- 
paired, and,  while  the  congregation  looked  and  hoped  for 
his  restoration,  his  condition  constantly  grew  worse.  This 
fact  alone  tended  greatly  to  lessen  the  activities  of  the 
church,  and  somewhat  to  dishearten  and  depress  the  mem- 
bership. He  lingered  until  January  12,  1832,  when,  after 
having  served  these  good  people  for  four  years,  he  passed 
to  his  reward. 

Within  a  little  more  than  two  weeks — to  be  exact,  seven- 
teen days — after  the  pastor's  death,  and  while  the  audi- 
torium of  the  church  was  still  draped  in  deepest  mourn- 
ing for  him,  an  accidental  fire  on  January  29,  1832,  de- 
stroyed the  entire  church  building,  with  its  contents,  ex- 
cept the  altar  Bible  and  hymn  book.  That  courage  which  is 
born  of  an  active,  abiding  faith  in  an  overruling,  all-wise, 
merciful  God,  and  which  is  characteristic  of  Presbyterians 
throughout  their  history,  was  here  again  much  in  evidence. 
Undaunted  'by  the  scene  of  wreck  and  ruin  before  them  and 
undismayed  by  the  disaster  which  had  swept  away  tlie 
house  where  the  people  of  God  were  wont  to  gather  together, 
the  Bench  of  Elders,  even  before  the  smoke  had  blown 
away,  called  a  congregational  meeting  for  counsel  and  in- 

—  114- 


struction.  On  Tuesday,  January  31 — two  days  after  the 
church  was  burned — the  meeting  took  place  in  accordance 
with  the  call,  being  held  in  "the  session  house."  Much  en- 
thusiasm prevailed ;  good  feeling  and  hopefulness  were  to 
be  seen  in  every  face.  The  zeal  of  those  in  attendance  is 
indicated  in  the  statement  that  "it  was  unanimously  re- 
solved by  said  meeting  to  rebuild  said  church  with  as  little 
delay  as  possible." 

The  church  membership  was  now  one  hundred  and 
sixteen.  The  population  of  Nashville  had  increased  consid- 
erably— being  estimated,  conservatively,  at  six  or  seven 
thousand — and  the  city  was  more  and  more  claiming  the 
attention  of  the  outside  world.  For  six  or  eight  years  steam- 
boats had  plied  the  Cumberland  with  increasing  frequency, 
carrying  passengers  and  freight  to  Louisville  and  Pitts- 
burgh, on  the  Ohio,  and  to  New  Orleans,  on  the  Missis- 
sippi ;  stage  lines  had  been  established  in  several  directions 
to  points  more  or  less  remote,  rendering  communication 
more  frequent  and  satisfactory ;  the  stir  of  an  active  and 
increasing  commerce  was  manifested  on  every  hand,  and 
all  seemed  to  feel  the  impetus  of  in- 
creasing prosperity  and  progress. 

The  church  officials  and  members 
were  a  unit  in  the  belief  that  the  psycho- 
logical moment  had  arrived  when,  with 
proper  effort,  Presbyterism  in  this  section 
would  go  forward  by  leaps  and  bounds. 

THE    SECOND    CHURCH    EDIFICE. 

The  Bench  of  Elders  at  this  time  con- 
sisted  of   five    ruling   elders,   viz :   James 
Trimble^  and  Michael  C.  Dunn,^  elected 
in   1821 ;  Nathaniel  A.  McNairy  and  James  C.  Robinson,^ 
elected  in  1824;  Robert  H.  McEwen,  Sr.,  elected  in  1829.      In 


Nathl.    A.    McNairy. 
Elder     1824-1851. 


^No  picture  of  him  obtainable. 


-115— 


arranging  for  active  work,  a  committee,  consisting  of  Ruling 
Elder  Robert  H.  McEwen,  Sr.,  together  with  eight  others 
from  the  most  influential  members  of  the  congregation,  was 
appointed  to  solicit  subscriptions;  also,  at  the  same  time,  a 
building  committee  was  appointed,  viz :  Ruling  Elder  Robert 
H.  McEwen,  Sr.,  James  Woods,  James  Erwin  and  Alpha 
Kingsley.  The  latter  committee,  in  organizing,  elected  James 
Woods  its  Chairman  and  Alpha  Kingsley  was  made  the 
collector.  The  work  of  rebuilding  was  promptly  begun  and 
was  progressing  as  rapidly  as  could  reasonably  be  expected 
when,  in  the  early  spring  of  1833,^  Asiatic  cholera — which 
but  recently,  for  the  first  time,  had  come  to  America — 
appeared  in  the  town,  producing  panic  and  demoralizing  to 
a  disastrous  degree  all  religious,  social  and  business  affairs, 
and  causing  the  death  of  from  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  to  two  hundred  of  the  inhabitants.  The  cholera's  vic- 
tims were  mostly  from  the  lower  and  most  improvident 
class,  yet  here  and  there  it  reached  the  higher  and  more 
intelligent  ranks  as  well.  Dr.  James  Roane,  a  son  of  Gov- 
ernor Achibald  Roane,  and  a  physician  of  rare  natural 
gifts  and  much  skill,  with  a  wide  range  of  general  informa- 
tion, and  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  con- 
tributor to  its  church-rebuilding  fund,  died  of  the  disease 
after  only  a  few  hours'  sickness.  In  caring  for  others, 
himself  he  forgot.  Work  upon  the  church  building  ceased, 
of  course ;  business  generally  was  suspended  throughout  the 
community,  and  every  one  became  obsessed  with  the  idea 
that  great  personal  harm  was  impending.  The  community 
did  not  fully  recover  from  this  staggering  blow  for  several 
years. 

After  the  epidemic  had  subsided,  or  nearly  so,  as  for 
months  afterwards  there  were  sporadic  cases  of  the  mal- 
ady, and  even  during  the  following  season  of  1834  thirty- 
four  deaths  were  reported  as   resulting  from  the  disease 


'Southern  Journal  of  the  Medical  and  Physical  Sciences,  1853. 
-116- 


in  the  town.  After  much  effort  the  Bench  of  Elders  finally 
succeeded  in  getting  the  work  resumed  upon  the  church 
building.  While  this  interruption  of  three  months  or  more 
had  retarded  the  work  and  greatly  confused  the  plans  of 
the  elders,  yet  in  the  late  fall  of  1833  the  church  edifice 
was  completed  and  dedicated. 

The  congregation,  which  in  the  interim  had  worshiped 
in  the  Masonic  Hall,  now  began  holding  services  in  its  new 
home. 

The  church  building  was  a  beautiful  brick  structure  of 
the  Grecian-Doric  style,  and  was  said  to  have  been,  at  that 
time,  "the  finest  church  edifice  in  the  State  and  an  orna- 
ment to  the  city."  Its  seating  capacity  was  one  thousand, 
and  the  cost  of  the  building  and  its  equipment  was  in  round 
numbers  $30,000.  It  had  a  nicely  finished  basement,  with 
the  entrance  on  Summer  Street  (Fifth  Avenue,  North),  as 

now.  THE    PEWS. 

As  an  aftermath  of  the  cholera  visitation,  the  financial 
affairs  of  the  community  became  greatly  disturbed,  money 
being  scarce  and  difficult  to  get  and  collections  exceedingly 
slow,  in  many  cases  impossible.  The  difficulty  or  impossi- 
bility of  making  collections  was  a  painful  realization  to  the 
office-bearers,  who  endeavored  to  collect  the  subscriptions 
on  the  church  building  fund.  These  men  were  evidently 
driven  to  their  wits'  end  as  to  what  to  do  to  raise  the  neces- 
sary money  with  which  to  pay  the  overdue  and  pressing 
claims  for  work  done.  They  finally  adopted  the  novel,  but 
questionable,  expedient  of  selling  the  pews  in  the  church — 
a  procedure  which  we  feel  sure  has  been  regretted  by  the 
membership  of  the  church  up  to  this  good  hour,  and  one 
which  must  continue  to  disturb  the  membership  until  a 
final  and  satisfactory  disposition  of  the  matter  can  be  made. 
An  auction  was  held  in  the  auditorium,  the  pews  being  sold 
to  the  highest  bidder,  as  other  property  is  disposed  of,  and 
a  duly  signed  deed  was  given  to  each  purchaser.    The  fol- 

-117- 


lowing   trustees    were   constituted    a   commission,    clothed 

with  full  authority  to  conduct  such  sale  and  to  execute  such 

deeds:     Ruling  Elders   Nathaniel  A.  McNairy,  James  C. 

Robinson  and  Robert  H.  McEwen,  Sr. ;  Laymen  S.  V.  D. 

Stout  and  Robert  I.  Moore,  the  first  named  layman  being 

subsequently  elected  to  the  deaconship. 

The  following  is  the  form  of  deed,  or  certificate,  used 

on  this  occasion : 

The  undersigned,  trustees  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  city  of  Nashville,  hereby  certify  that  at 
a  sale  of  the  pews  in  said  church,  which  took  place 

on  the day  of month,  agreeable  to 

notice, became  the  purchaser  of  pew  No. 

for  the  sum  of  dollars,  the  receipt  whereof  is 

hereby  acknowledged.     In  consideration  whereof  the 

said is  entitled  to  the  sole  use  and  occupation 

of  said  pew,  to  have  and  to  hold  the  same  to  himself, 
his  heirs,  executors  or  assigns  forever,  for  the  purpose 
of  public  worship,  according  to  the  rules  and  under  the 
discipline  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  subject  also 

to  the  annual  rent  of dollars,  and  conditions  of 

forfeiture  set  forth  in  an  ordinance^  of  said  congrega- 
tion bearing  date  the  20th  of  August,  1833. 

Given  under  our  hand  and  executed  this  day 

of  ,  1833. 

(1)  

(2)  

(3)  

(4)  

(5)  

Trustees. 

"Note — Stated  Clery  Cowan  says  that  the  "ordinance"  referred  to 
in  the  deeds  given  to  pew  purchasers  in  1833  has  been  misplaced, 
but  that  he  has  often  heard  from  older  officers  and  members  of 
the  Church,  now  dead,  that  its  purport  was:  "If  the  pewholder 
failed  to  pay  the  annual  rent  as  assessed  against  a  given  pew  for  a 
time,  and  which  in  amount  would  equal  the  sum  paid  by  the  original 
purchaser,  then  the  pew  becomes  forfeited  to  the  Church." 

-118- 


The  "conditions  of  forfeiture"  referred  to  in  the  clos- 
ing clause  of  the  above-quoted  bill  of  sale  for  the  pews  sold 
in  1833  (and  there  was  never  another  such  sale  before,  nor 
has  there  been  one  since  that  date)  loom  up  large  just 
here  in  solving  the  troublesome  question  of  having  free 
pews  for  the  congregation.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  not  one  of 
the  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  pewholders  through  the 
eighty-one  years  intervening  since  the  sale  occurred,  has 
strictly  complied  with  the  conditions  of  forfeiture,  which 
were  stated  at  the  time  of  purchase,  and  which  were  fully 
understood  by  each  original  buyer  and  seller,  and  which 
to  make  doubly  sure  were  explicitly  referred  to  in  the  face 
of  the  deed  issued  at  the  time  of  purchase. 

If,  therefore,  upon  careful  investigation,  this  is  found 
to  be  substantially  true,  the  way  becomes  clear  for  the 
church  at  any  time  to  adopt  the  free-pew  system.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  above  mode  provided  by  the  church  for  repos- 
sessing itself,  under  special  conditions,  of  the  pews  sold  in 
1833,  and  which  are  located  in  the  main  auditorium,  some 
have  adopted  the  plan  of  voluntarily  donating  back  to  the 
church  all  their  vested  or  supposed  interest  in  any  given 
pew,  and  thereby  effectually  surrendering  all  claim  they 
may  have  had  to  such. 

In  the  fall  of  1803  that  high  type  of  a  Christian  gen- 
tleman, Judge  John  McCormick  Lea,  did  this  when  he 
wrote  the  Bench  of  Elders  that,  "being  admonished  by  in- 
creasing infirmities  of  advancing  years  that  my  earthly  pil- 
grimage is  nearing  the  end,  ...  I  give  and  surrender 
to  the  officers  of  the  church  pew  No.  83."  For  a  number 
of  years,  we  will  add.  Judge  Lea  served  the  church  as  one 
of  its  trustees. 

The  church  now  entered  upon  an  era  of  rapid  growth 
and  prosperity  the  like  of  which  it  had  not  known  before. 
In  the  summer  of  1833  a  new  pastor  had  been  secured— 
Rev.  John  Todd  Edgar,  D.D.— and  in  the  following  spring, 

-119- 


Samuel   Seay. 
Elder     1834-1843. 


1834,  to  supply  a  growing  need,  they  elected  to  the  Bench 

of  Elders  the  following:  Samuel  Seay,  William  Armstrong^ 

and  James   Nichol.     Ruling  Elder  James   Trimble,^   after 

serving   three   years,   had    died  in    1824. 

They  also  now  (1834),  for  the  first  time, 

and  twenty  years  after  the  organization 

of  the  church,  created  for  it  a  Board  of 

Deacons.     The  following  were  elected  to 

the  diaconate:    James  P.  Clark,  John  M. 

Hill,  Alexander  M.  Cassiday  and  William 

Berryhill.     Joseph  C.  Brown  at  this  time 

is  reported  as  having  been  also  made  a 

deacon,  but,   for  some  reason,  he  never 

became  active  in  the  work. 

Two  years  subsequently,  in  1836,  it  was  deemed  advisa- 
ble to  still  further  increase  the  number  of  office-bearers  in 
the  church,  Dr.  William  McNeil  being  elected  a  ruling  elder 
and  Dr.  A.  G.  Goodlett^  and  S.  V.  D.  Stout  being  elected 
deacons.  The  membership  continuing  to  increase  rapidly 
and  there  being  an  occasional  removal  from  the  city  or 
death  of  an  ofifice-bearer,  thus  making  a 
vacancy,  it  was  thought  advisable  to  in- 
crease the  number  of  church  officers  more 
frequently  than  had  been  the  practice  up 
to  now.  Consequently,  in  1838,  Benjamin 
McCulloch^  and  William  M.  Brown^  were 
added  to  the  Bench  of  Elders.  Elder  W. 
M.  Brown,  the  last  named,  died  after 
serving  only  one  year.  In  1839  there 
were  two  additions  to  the  Bench  of 
Elders :  William  Hadley  and  A.  W.  Put- 
nam. It  is  worthy  of  note  that  Elder  Putnam  was  the  Com- 
missioner from  the  First  Church  to  the  first  Southern  Gen- 


James    Nichol. 
Elder     1834-1878. 


^No  picture  of  him  obtainable. 

—120- 


Joseph   B.  O'Brvan^ 

Deacon    1867-1870.      Elder    1870- 1900.      In    Charge   of  the   Work  at   the 
Edgar    Church. 


Wm.    McNeil,    M.D. 
Elder    1836- 1844. 


eral  Assembly  (1861),  which  met  in  Augusta,  Ga.,  and  that 
he  also  served  as  Stated  Clerk  of  the  session  for  two  years. 
For  twenty-five  years  up  to  now  (1839)  the  music  in 
the  church  had  consisted  wholly  of  con- 
gregational singing,  the  record  being  sim- 
ply that  "the  clerk,  old  man  Mr.  Cardwell, 
stood  in  front  of  the  pulpit  to  read  out 
the  lines  of  the  hymn  and  lead  the  sing- 
ing." The  officers  of  the  church,  how- 
ever, at  this  time  feeling  the  need  of  bet- 
ter and  more  up-to-date  church  music, 
decided  to  and  did  install  in  the  church 
a  suitable  sized  pipe  organ,  locating  it  in 
the  north  gallery  over  the  main  Church 
Street  entrance  to  the  building.  The  instrument  was  for  a 
time  placed  under  Professor  Nash  as  organist,  but  later  was 
under  Prof.  Francis  Neville  Boensch,  father  to  the  present 
Elder  Boensch  and  grandfather  of  the  present  Deacon 
Boensch.  It  was,  indeed,  not  only  the  largest,  but  also  the 
sweetest-toned  instrument  of  the  kind  in  the  city.  The 
addition  was  very  popular,  both  with  the 
membership  and  the  outside  public. 

Henry  E.  Thomas^  was  made  an  elder 
in  1840;  after  serving  two  years,  he  re- 
moved from  the  city.  In  1844  the  in- 
crease in  the  membership  had  been  so 
great  that  the  congregation  elected  the 
following  as  ruling  elders :  William  Wil- 
liams,^ John  M.  Hill,  Alexander  M,  Cas- 
siday^  (later  he  was  elected  by  the  ses- 
sion Superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school),  and  Nathaniel  Cross.  At  the  same  time  the  follow- 
ing were  made  deacons :    Alfred  Hume,  William  Eakin  and 


William    Hadley 
Elder     1839-1842. 


^No  picture  of  him  obtainable. 


-121- 


Nathaniel  Cross. 
Elder  1844-1858. 
Elder     1862-1866. 


Benjamin  E.  Shepherd.  After  a  term  of  office,  the  exact 
length  of  which  we  are  unable  to  state,  Ruling  Elder  Cassiday 
was  succeeded  by  Deacon  Hume,  he  being  elected  by  the  ses- 
sion Superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school. 

In  1846  Dr.  Richard  O.  Currey  was. 
elected  ruling  elder.  In  the  following 
year,  however,  he  moved  from  the  city ; 
but  in  1850  he  returned,  when  the  congre- 
gation formally  recognized  him  again  as 
elder,  and  he  at  once  reassumed  the  duties 
of  the  office.  The  congregation  did  likewise 
with  Michael  C.  Dunn,^  who  had  left  the 
town  after  serving  as  elder  for  seven 
years,  from  1821  to  1828,  but  who  in  1846 
again  took  up  his  residence  in  Nashville. 

In  the  spring  of  1848,  W.  B.  A.  Ramsey  was  by  the 
congregation  elected  to  the  office  of  ruling  elder,  and  upon 
the  day  of  his  election  was  duly  ordained  and  installed. 

SECOND  FIRE. 

An    uneventful    summer    had    rapidly 
passed  by  and  the  church  work  for  the 
fall  and  winter  was  taking  definite  form 
in  the  minds  of  the  more  active  church 
leaders,   when,  on  Thursday,   September 
14,  1848,  the  universally  admired  church 
edifice,  with  all  its  contents,  was  burned 
to  the  ground.    The  "Society  House,"  be 
fore  referred  to,  and  which  had  escaped 
the  fire  of   1832,  was  destroyed  by  this 
second  fire.     Thus   the   congregtaion   of 
the   Nashville   Presbyterian    Church   was 
for  the  second  time  made  homeless,  and,  as  before,  the  fire 
was  due  essentially  to  the  same  cause,  inexcusable  careless- 
ness— in  the  first  instance,  that  of  the  sexton ;  in  the  last, 


R.   O.   Curry,  M.D. 
Elder    1846-1847. 
Elder    1850-1854. 


'No  picture  of  him  obtainable. 

-122- 


that  of  workmen  engaged  in  repairing  the  building. 
Without  delay  the  Bench  of  Elders  called  a  congrega- 
tional meeting  for  Saturday,  the  i6th,  two  days  after  the 
fire  occurred.  This  meeting  was  held,  according  to  ap- 
pointment, in  the  First  Baptist  Church,  then  on  Summer 
Street,  near  Deaderick  Street,  and  which  had  been  kindly 
tendered  to  the  congregation  for  its  uses,  to  consider  ways 
and  means  for  erecting  another  church  edifice.  Ruling  Elder 
William  Williams  was  made  Chairman  and  Ruling  Elder 
Nathaniel  Cross  was  elected  Secretary.  In  a  series  of 
resolutions  offered  and  adopted  at  the  meeting,  we  find  "No, 
4"  to  be  as  follows :  "Resolved,  That  immediately  measures 
be  taken  to  secure  the  rebuilding  of  the  church  edifice  at 
the  earliest  practicable  period."  A  committee  to  solicit 
subscriptions — which  was  also  to  act  as  building  committee 
— was  appointed,  consisting  of  Ruling  Elders  A.  W.  Put- 
nam and  John  M.  Hill,  Deacon  William  Eakin  and  the 
following  leading  men  of  the  congregation:  Alexander 
Allison  (then  Mayor),  John  M.  Bass,  Samuel  D.  Morgan, 
William  Nichol  and  O.  B.  Hayes.  Rev.  Dr.  John  Todd 
Edgar  was  added  ex  officio.  The  committee  elected  John 
M.  Bass,  Chairman,  and  Ruling  Elder  Nathaniel  Cross, 
Secretary. 

Architectural  design  of  the  building  and  plans  in  detail 
for  construction  were  promptly  obtained  and  adopted  and 
the  work  of  rebuilding  went  rapidly  and  smoothly  forward. 
All  the  debris  had  been  cleared  away,  the  stone  foundation 
for  the  new  edifice  had  been  rebuilt  in  great  measure,  and 
on  April  28,  1849,  seven  months  from  the  date  of  the  fire, 
and  in  the  presence  of  a  large  assemblage  of  the  best  people 
of  the  church  and  the  city,  the  corner  stone  was  laid  with 
a  not  very  elaborate  but  exceedingly  impressive  ceremony. 
The  officers  of  the  church  had  carried  upon  the  main  build- 
ing a  fire  insurance  policy  for  $8,000.^    This  was  promptly 


^Nashville  Whig,  September  14,  18- 
-123- 


collected,  and  subscriptions  for  the  remainder  required  to 
carry  out  the  architectural  plans  as  adopted  were  liberally 
made,  and  in  due  time  paid. 

Concurrent  with  the  events  above  recited  the  steamer 
"Caroline  Watkins,"  from  New  Orleans,  arrived  at  the  city 
wharf,  and  in  coming  up  the  river  there  had  developed  on 
board  some  eight  or  ten  cases  of  cholera.  Through  "Black 
Bottom"  the  disease  soon  got  a  foothold  upon  the  town,  and 
Nashville  again  had  an  epidemic  of  Asiatic  cholera  to  deal 
with.  Most  of  those  who  were  able  left  the  city.  Thus 
panic  and  general  demoralization  along  all  branches  of 
human  effort  for  the  time  being  prevailed  in  the  town. 
Work  upon  the  church  building  was  suspended.  Through 
the  succeeding  eight  or  ten  weeks  Nashville  lost  from  fifty 
to  seventy-five  of  her  people  from  cholera,  the  disease  being 
virtually  restricted  to  the  lowest  and  most  indigent  class 
of  the  community. 

This  second  visitation  was  much  milder  than  that  of 
sixteen  years  before,  and  the  disturbance  to  the  trade  and 
traffic  of  the  city  was  not  so  prolonged  nor  damaging  in 
the  aggregate  as  in  the  first  instance. 

Work  was  resumed  upon  the  church  building  as  soon 
as  it  was  possible  to  secure  workmen,  and  among  the  first 
days  of  the  new  year,  1850,  the  edifice  was  sufficiently  near 
completion  to  warrant  the  congregation  in  moving  from  the 
Masonic  Hall,  where  they  had  held  their  religious  services, 
into  the  lecture  room  of  the  new  church. 

In  the  spring  of  the  following  year,  185 1,  the  entire 
edifice  was  completed  and  furnished  at  an  outlay  of  forty- 
eight  thousand  dollars.  As  yet  the  organ  had  not  been 
negotiated  for.  Congregational  singing  was  again  resumed 
and  continued  for  the  succeeding  ten  years.  Mr.  G.  Addi- 
ton  is  referred  to  in  the  record  as  being  "the  church 
chorister"  who  led  the  singing.  After  a  time  a  correspond- 
ence was  begim  by  Mr.  Charles  F.  Thurston,  a  member  of 
the  music  committee,  with  the  several  leading  organ  build- 

-124- 


ers  in  the  country,  looking  to  obtaining  for  the  church  a 
suitable  sized  pipe  organ.  This  resulted  finally  in  securing 
a  much  larger  instrument  than  it  had  had  before  and  one  of 
greatly  increased  musical  power  and  expression.  This 
organ  was  installed  during  July,  1858,  at  a  cost  of 
$3,000,  and  was  located  back  of  the  pulpit,  in  the  south 
end  of  the  church,  as  now,  and  was  placed  under  the  con- 
trol of  Prof.  Henri  Weber  as  organist.  In  1912  the  im- 
provement of  the  instrumental  music  of  the  church  was 
again  urged,  the  old  organ,  from  fifty-six  years'  use,  having 
become  much  worn  and  out  of  repair,  besides  being  out  of 
date  in  many  of  its  music-producing  features.  A  change 
was  finally  determined  upon  and  a  magnificent,  up-to-date 
pipe  organ  was  secured  at  a  cost  of  $10,000.  This  organ 
was  installed  on  September  i,  1913. 

The  church  building  was  dedicated  to  God  with  much 
"pomp  and  circumstance"  on  Easter  Sunday  of  1851,  and 
for  sixty-three  years  it  has  been  occupied  as  a  church  home 
of  an  active,  aggressive,  prosperous  Christian  people.  (A 
minute  description  of  this  edifice  having  already  been 
printed  in  the  Bunting  Church  Manual  of  1868,  it  is 
thought  unnecessary  to  describe  it  here.) 

In  the  Manual  of  1868  it  is  stated  that  "the  front 
(Church  Street  front)  never  having  been  completed,  pre- 
sents an  unfinished  appearance.  This  was  carefully  com- 
pleted in  conformity  with  the  original  design  in  1880,  and 
now  the  church  edifice  stands  out  before  the  public  in  a 
strong,  distinctive,  striking  individuality  among  all  the 
churches  of  the  city.  The  suggestion  has  been  made,  and 
indeed  urged,  by  some  short-lived  iconoclasts  that  this 
feature  or  that  be  changed,  but  it  is  quite  gratifying  to  note 
the  fact  that,  up  to  now,  after  half  a  century  and  more 
of  use,  barring  the  work  done  upon  the  front  alluded  to 
above,  it  is  unaltered  and  unchanged  in  any  essential  feature 
from  what  it  was  when  it  came  from  the  hands  of  its  build- 

-125- 


Wm.    B.    A.    Ramsey. 
Elder     1848-18^8. 


ers.     May  every  succeeding  centennial  through  the  coming 

ages  find  it  as  now! 

Since  1833  the  number  of  the  church's  communicants 
had  decidedly  increased,  and  now  they 
numbered  three  hundred  and  fifty-seven 
— an  increase  of  208  per  cent.  Nash- 
ville also  had  grown  from  a  small  town 
to  the  dimensions  of  a  prosperous,  thriv- 
ing city,  with  a  population  of  approxi- 
mately twenty-five  thousand,  and  many 
believed  from  the  indications  then  exist- 
ing that  in  the  near  future  it  would  be- 
come one  of  the  important  nerve  centers 
of  the  country. 

FIRE    AND    PESTILENCE. 

A  congregation  having  tO'  face  the  dire  destruction  of 
its  church  building  by  fire,  as  this  one  did,  and  at  the  same 
time  having  to  contend  with  an  epidemic  of  Asiatic  cholera 
— and  this,  too,  to  be  gone  through  with  on  two  different 
occasions,  with  an  interval  of  near  twenty  years  between 
the  two — is  certainly  a  most  interesting  and  striking  coin- 
cidence, if  no  more. 

From  a  religious  point  of  view,  it  is 
believed,  it  demands  serious  and  prayer- 
ful study,  that  its  lessons  may  be  fully 
recognized  and  heeded,  not  passed  over 
lightly  and  forgotten.  That  the  officers 
of  the  church  and  the  members  of  the 
congregation  generally  recognize  the  un- 
usual significance  in  this  special  provi- 
dence is  quite  clear,  as  at  one  of  the  ear- 
liest meetings  had  after  the  second  fire  the 
following  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted :  "That,  rec- 
ognizing the  hand  of  God  in  all  that  befalls  us,  and  acknowl- 
edging as  a  church  and  as  individuals  we  merited  his  Father- 


John     Thompson. 
Elder     1853-1860. 


-126 


ly  chastisements,  it  becomes  us  to  make  a  wise  improvement 
of  the  dispensation  that  has  convened  us  together,  to  give 
more  diligent  heed  in  the  future  to  the  public  and  private 
means  of  grace,  and  thus  to  humble  our- 
selves under  the  mighty  hand  of  God,  that 
He  may  exalt  us  in  due  time."    The  sub- 
sequent   history    of    these    good    people 
gives  ample  evidence  that  a  profound  in- 
fluence for  good  was  the  looked-for  effect 
of  this  second  visitation  of  fire  and  pes- 
tilence.    The  horizon  of  the  congregation 
was   broadened   and   otherwise   enlarged 


A^ 

m 

and  a  more  active  and  enlighteend  zeal 


Wm.    O'N.    Perkins. 
Elder     1858-1864. 


was  aroused  for  the  Master's  work. 

In  due  course  of  time  several  missions  were  considered 
and  planned  for  different  localities  of  the  city  and  other 
laudable  work  for  those  on  the  outside  of  the  congregation 
was  carefully  thought  out,  and,  where  found  feasible,  was 
carried  out.  The  women  of  the  church  organized  several 
new  societies,  with  the  object  and  purpose  of  helping  the 
poor  and  needy;  and,  in  addition,  in  a 
number  of  instances,  they  detailed  one  or 
more  of  their  number  as  representatives 
to  other  church  and  union  organizations 
in  the  city  that  through  a  united  effort 
the  greatest  good  could  be  brought  to  the 
greatest  number.  Like  the  phoenix,  the 
sacred  bird  of  old  which  came  periodically 
out  of  ancient  Arabia  to  Heliopolis,  and 
there  burned  itself  upon  the  altar,  the 
congregation  speedily  rose  from  its  ashes, 
even  younger  and  more  beautiful  than 
before,  more  consecrated,  more  active  and  more  potential 
in  all  church  activities  than  at  any  time  in  its  previous 
history. 


William     S.     Eakin. 

Deacon     1858-1860. 

Elder     1860-1872. 


■127— 


Rev.     Wm.     Bryce 

Thompson. 

Deacon     1860-1865. 

Elder     1867-1876. 


The  Bench  of  Elders  determined  to  recommend  to  the 
congregation  the  enlarging  of  the  diaconate  of  the  cliurch 
by  the  addition  of  at  least  five.  This  recommendation  re- 
ceived the  concurrence  of  the  congrega- 
tion, the  following  being  elected  deacons 
in  1850:  Daniel  F.  Carter,  G.  M.  D. 
Cantrell,  James  Gould,  William  K.  Hunt- 
er and  Robert  Lusk,  Sr.  In  1852,  James 
Anderson,^  who  had  been  a  ruling  elder 
in  the  Hermitage  Church,  removed  to  the 
city,  was  recognized  by  the  congregation 
as  a  ruling  elder,  and  at  once  entered 
upon  the  duties  of  the  office.  In  the  fol- 
lowing year,  1853,  John  Thompson,  of 
Ellicott's  Mills,  Md.,  came  to  Nashville 
to  live,  and,  having  been  a  ruling  elder  in  the  church 
at  that  place,  he,  too,  was  recognized  by  the  congregation 
and  took  his  place  upon  the  Bench  of  Elders.  In  the 
fall  of  the  same  year  he  was  elected  by  the  session  Su- 
perintendent of  the  Sunday  school,  and  continued  as  such 
for  the  succeeding  seven  years,  until  the 
spring  of  i860,  when  he  returned  to 
Maryland.  In  1854  William  Stewart  was 
elected  to  the  diaconate.  William  O'Neil 
Perkins  had  been  an  elder  in  the  Presby- 
terian Church  at  Franklin,  Tenn.,  and 
now,  having  removed  to  Nashville,  was 
recognized  as  an  elder  and  became  active 
as  such  in  1858.  At  the  same  time  Wil- 
liam S.  Eakin  was  made  a  deacon.     Two   ^'i','!'"  ^-^^^p^rd. 

Jtlder     1867-1870. 

years  later,  in   i860,  the  following  were 

elected  elders:  Dr.   Paul   F.  Eve,   Sr.,   Donald  Cameron,^ 


'No  picture  of  him  obtainable. 


-128- 


Bradford  Nichol, 

Deacon    1867-1914.       I'^Ider    1914.      Leader    in    the    Work    Resulting   in    the 
Cottage   Church. 


C.    A.    R.    Thompson. 

Deacon     186,^-1870. 

Elder     1870-1873. 


Daniel  F.  Carter  and  William  S.  Eakin,  the  last  two  being 
raised  from  the  Board  of  Deacons. 

N.  Davidson  Cross  was  made  a  deacon  in  1861.  In 
1862,  Prof.  Nathaniel  Cross,  W.  Bryce 
Thompson  and  H.  Hill  McAlister  were 
elected  deacons.  Andrew  J.  Smith  was 
made  a  deacon  in  1865.  In  1867,  W.  B. 
Shapard,  A.  G.  Adams  and  J.  M.  Hamil- 
ton, who  had  been  ruling  elders  in  the 
Second  Presbyterian  Church,  but  had 
withdrawn  from  that  church  and  had  been 
readmitted  to  membership  in  this  church, 
were  by  the  congregation  recognized  as 
elders  and  at  once  entered  upon  their 
duties  as  such.  At  the  same  time  Dr. 
Joseph  Jones,^  C.  N.  Ordway,^  H.  Hill  McAlister,  W. 
Bryce  Thompson  and  E.  B.  McQanahan^  were  elected 
elders,  and  the  following  were  made  deacons :  C. 
A.  R.  Thompson,  William  Henry  Smith,  R.  G.  Throne, 
Bradford  Nichol,  Sr.,  Joseph  B.  O'Bryan  and  J.  Douglas 
Cross.  In  1868  death  removed  from  the 
Bench  of  Elders  one  of  its  oldest  and  most 
efficient  members.  Col.  Robert  H.  Mc- 
Ewen,  who  for  nearly  forty  years  had 
actively  served  the  church  as  ruling  elder, 
having  been  elected  in  1829,  in  the  second 
election  held  by  the  congregation  after 
its  organization,  in  1814.  He  was  a  na- 
tive Tennessean,  having  been  born  in 
Joncsboro  in  1790,  and  he  came  to  Nash- 
ville from  Fayetteville  in  1828.  He  was 
a  pronounced  Presbyterian,  and  his  distinguishing  character- 
istic was  promptness  and  punctuality  in  the  observance  of 
all  the  ordinances  of  the  house  of  God.     Though  a  man  of 


John   C.    Gordon. 
Elder     1873-1898. 


^No  picture  of  him  obtainable. 
—129- 


M.    Safford,    Ph.D. 
Elder     1875-1901. 


decided  convictions,  he  was  never  intolerant.     Possessing 
great  energy  and  force  of  character,  he  was  public-spirited 
and  a  wise  and  prudent  counselor.    He  was  a  business  man, 
attorney,  soldier.     In  the  Creek  War  he 
volunteered,   at  22   years   of   age,   under 
Gen.  Andrew  Jackson,  and  was  in  com- 
mand   of   a   regiment    in    the   battles    of 
Horseshoe  Bend  and  Talladega.     He  was 
the  Stated  Clerk  of  the  session  for  thirty- 
five  years.     After  a  lingering  illness,  he 
died  on  January  12,  1868,  at  the  ripe  old 
age  of  78. 

In  1870  four  elders  and  five  deacons 
were  elected  as  follows:  William  Henry 
Smith,^  Charles  A.  R.  Thompson  and  Joseph  B.  O'Bryan 
were  elevated  from  the  diaconate  to  the  Bench  of  Elders; 
Dr.  Paul  F.  Eve,  Sr.,  who  had  removed  from  the  city  the 
year  before,  but  had  now  returned,  was  reinstated  in  the 
eldership;  William  C.  Collier,  William  D.  Kline,  George 
G.  O'Bryan,  Edgar  Jones  and  Frank  Porterfield  were  added 
to  the  Board  of  Deacons.  In  1873,  Dr.  John  R.  Buist^  was 
elected  elder,  as  were  also  A.  W.  Ferine,^ 
who  removed  from  the  city  within  the 
next  year;  Robert  S.  Cowan,  who  is  still 
acting,  having  been  one  of  the  three  trus- 
tees of  the  John  M.  Hill  Fund  since  1895, 
and  continuously  Stated  Clerk  of  the  ses- 
sion since  1876;  John  C.  Gordon,  who  left 
the  city  in  1898,  and  Robert  G.  Throne 
and  J.  Douglas  Cross,  who  were  elevated 
from  the  diaconate.  The  following  were 
made  deacons :  John  Hill  Eakin,  John 
Thompson  Plunket,  Wilbur  F.  Foster,  Henrv  Sperry,  Byrd 
Douglas,  Thomas  H.  Maney  and  A.  Hume  Lusk.    In  1875, 

'No  picture  of  him  obtainable. 

-130— 


Baxter    Smith. 
Elder     1881-1890. 


J.    Douglas    Cross. 

Deacon     1867-1873. 

Elder     1873-1876. 


James  M.  Safford,  Ph.D.,  James  M.  Sinclair^  and  Henry  C. 
Shapard  were  made  ruling  elders.  In  1876,  J.  McGavock 
Dickinson,  James  H.  Wilks,  H.  Bruce  Cochran  and  L.  T. 
Webb  were  made  deacons.  In  1881,  Bax- 
ter Smith  was  added  to  the  Bench  of 
Elders,  and  Joseph  H.  Thompson  was 
elected  deacon.  Five  were  elected  dea- 
cons in  1886:  Dr.  Paul  F.  Eve,  Jr.,  A. 
Gillespie  Adams,  Jr.,  Harry  A.  Myers, 
Robert  Rodes  and  William  M.  Magill. 
In  1892,  W.  H.  Raymond,  Sr.,  and  W.  O. 
Eastin  were  elected  ruling  elders ;  C.  B. 
Glenn,  who  had  been  an  elder  in  the  First 
Cumberland  Church  of  this  city,  was  rec- 
ognized as  elder  by  the  congregation,  and 
Dr.  Paul  F.  Eve,  Jr.,  was  raised  from  the  diaconate  to 
the  office  of  elder.  In  1896,  John  D.  Blanton,  LL.D., 
and  W.  Gales  Adams  were  elected  ruling  elders ;  Joseph  H. 
Thompson,  A.  G.  Adams  and  Wilbur  F.  Foster  were  ele- 
vated from  the  diaconate  to  the  Bench  of 
Elders,  and  Clarence  B.  Wallace,  Frank 
N.  Boensch,  Sr.,  Wyatt  T.  Abernathy 
(who  died  August  2.^,  1914),  and  E.  P. 
Bronson  were  made  deacons. 

SPIRIT-TWINS. 

For  the  Bench  of  Elders  to  lose 
within  a  period  of  twenty-eight  days  two 
of  its  most  zealous  and  active  members, 
Adam  Gillespie  Adams  and  James  Mc- 
Clung  Hamilton,  was  a  decided  shock  to 
the  members  of  the  church.  That  providence  had  had  the 
planning  of  these  two  lives,  and  in  a  special  sense,  is  mani- 
festly true.     Both  of  them  were  of  Scotch  ancestry.     The 


Henry     C.     Shapard. 
Elder     1875-1877. 


'No  picture  of  him  obtainable. 


131- 


one  came  here  from  County  Tyrone,  Ireland ;  the  other  from 
Logan  County,  Kentucky.  At  the  age  of  15  the  one 
joined  the  Burney  Presbyterian  Church,  a  little  coun- 
tryside chapel  near  Strabane,  where  he  was  born  on  July 
12,  1820;  at  the  age  of  12  the  other  joined  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  at  Russellville,  at  which  village  he  was 
born  on  September  5,  182 1.  Together  they  joined  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  here  on  October  24,  1840;  as  yoke-fel- 
lows they  organized  the  Sunday  school,  which  later,  in  1842. 
evolved  into  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  of  Nashville; 
together  they  were  made  ruling  elders  in  that  church  and 
for  twenty-five  years  they  together  largely  shaped  its  work; 
together,  for  cause,  they  returned  to  the  mother  church  on 
May  5,  1867,  as  before  stated,  and  together  they  were  recog- 
nized as  elders  by  the  congregation,  and  together  they  at 
once  took  places  upon  the  Bench  of  Elders. 

The  one  was  elected  by  the  session  Superintendent  of  the 
Sunday  school,  which  position  he  was  annually  reelected  to 
and  which  he  held  continuously  for  twenty-nine  years,  up 
to  his  death ;  while  the  other  became  an  efficient  teacher  in 
the  same  Sunday  school,  continuing  in  that  capacity  to  the 
end  of  his  days.  The  one  died,  at  the  age  of  75,  on  March 
31,  1895;  the  other,  at  the  age  of  74,  on  April  27,  1895. 
Even  in  death  they  scarcely  were  separated,  for,  while  the 
one  suddenly  passed  to  his  reward  on  the  last  day  of  the 
month,  the  other  lingered  a  few  days  into  the  succeeding 
month,  and  then — who  will  doubt  it? — together  they  passed 
through  the  pearly  gate,  and  today  together,  as  spirit-twins, 
they  are  walking  the  golden  streets  of  the  Celestial  City, 
conscious  of  having  each  given  gladly  fifty-five  years  of 
loyal,  active  service  to  the  Master  while  upon  earth.  As 
exhaustive  biographies  of  these  two  eminently  religious 
and  unusual  men  are  now  in  print,  it  is  thought  that  this 
resume  will  be  sufficient  here. 

In  1899,  Dr.  James  D.  Plunket  was  elected  an  elder; 

—  132— 


W.   O.   Eastin. 
Elder    1892-1904. 


Byrd  Douglas,  Clarence  B.  Wallace  and  E.  P.  Bronson  were 

raised   from  the  diaconate  to  the  eldership,  and  John  A. 

McEwen,  Dr.  William  Bailey,  J.  D.  Jacobs,  Dr.  Matthew 

G.    Buckner,   Edgar   M.   Foster,   Duncan 

McKay,   W.   D.   Witherspoon   and   John 

Irvine  Armstrong  were  made  deacons. 

Ruling  Elder  Joseph  Branch  O'Bryan 
was  a  native  Tennessean,  having  been 
born  at  Franklin,  Williamson  County,  on 
November  2,  1838.  Soon  after  reach- 
ing adolescence  he  came  to  Nashville  and 
began  commercial  life.  At  16  he  joined 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church.  In  1867, 
two  years  after  returning  from  the  war 
between  the  States,  he  was  elected  by  the  congregation  to 
the  diaconate.  Here  he  served  for  three  years,  until  1870, 
when  he  was  elevated  to  the  Bench  of  Elders,  and  for  thirty 
years  he  was  active  in  the  duties  of  the  office  of  elder.  His 
church  occupied  a  large  place  in  his  thoughts  and  life.  From 
his  earliest  youth  he  was  religiously  inclined  and  never  had 
any  "wild  oats"  to  sow.  He  was  a  man 
of  the  highest  personal  integrity,  having  a 
positive  cast  of  character,  being  frank, 
outspoken  and  direct.  He  thought  clearly 
and  acted  energetically  and  courageously. 
Possessing  great  will  power,  he  was  essen- 
tially a  man  of  results,  though  never  os- 
tentatious in  his  methods.  He  was  a  just 
man,  and,  withal,  a  man  with  the  tender- 
est  heart,  yet  he  never  permitted  his  sym- 
pathies to  subvert  his  judgment.  After  a 
brief  illness  he  passed  to  his  final  reward 
at  the  age  of  62,  as  the  shadows  began  to  gather  for  the 
night  on  March  17,  1900. 

In  1901,  John  C.  Kennedy,  John  B.  Garrett,  C.  C.  Fos- 


E.    P.    Bronson. 

Deacon     1896- 1899 

Elder     1899-1904. 


—133— 


Wyatt    T.    Abernathy,    dcaCOnS 
Deacon     1896- 1904. 
Elder     1904-1914. 


ter,  T.  G.  Tinsley  and  E.  W.  Foster  were  elected  members 
of  the  Board  of  Deacons. 

In  1904,  Frank  N.  Boensch,  Sr.,  Wyatt  T,  Abernathy, 
Dr.  Matthew  G.  Buckner,  Duncan  Mc- 
Kay and  Dr.  William  Bailey  were  ele- 
vated from  the  diaconate  to  the  elder- 
ship, and  Robert  T.  Hopkins,  George  M. 
White,  John  P.  W.  Brown,  Charles  S. 
Caldwell,  Dr.  D.  R.  Stubblefield,  Thomas 
P.  Kennedy  and  Dr.  John  A.  Wither- 
spoon  were  made  deacons. 

In    191 1    the   following  were   elected 
Charles  E.  Cooper,  Lee  Doug- 
las, Verner  Moore   Lewis,  William  Win- 
ter Lyon,  A.   Tillman  Jones  and  Jacob 
W.  Brown. 

In  1913,  Bradford  Nichol,  Sr.,  William  C.  Collier  and 
Henry  Sperry  were  raised  from  the  diaconate  to  the  Bench 
of  Elders ;  George  W.  Killebrew  was  elected  an  elder,  and 
Dr.  McPheeters  Glasgow,  Lemuel  R.  Campbell,  William 
Simpson,  E.  A.  Ruddiman,  W.  Ridley  Wills,  J.  C.  Lucus 
and  Frank  Boensch,  Jr.,  were  made  deacons. 

THE  TABLES. 

As  a  ready  reference  chart  we  have  prepared  the  two 
tables  which  appear  below.  The  first  table  has  to  do  with 
the  eldership,  the  other  with  the  deaconship,  and  together 
they  give  all  the  office-bearers  the  church  has  had  through 
the  one  hundred  years  ending  November  14,  1914.  At  a 
glance  under  the  headings  of  the  different  columns  one  can 
see,  beginning  on  the  left  and  reading  to  the  right,  in  the 
first  column,  the  name  of  every  individual  ruling  elder  who 
has  actively  served  the  church  within  the  century;  in  the 
next  column,  the  total  service  in  years  he  as  elder  has  ren- 
dered the  church  up  to  this  time;  in  the  next  column,  the 


-134- 


total  years'  service  he  as  deacon  has  given  the  church;  in 
another  column  is  given  the  date  of  such  service  the  indi- 
vidual rendered  as  trustee;  in  another,  as  Stated  Clerk  of 
the  session ;  in  another  is  given  the  date  of  his  removal  from 
the  city,  if  he  has  removed;  in  another,  date  of  death,  if 
dead — that  is,  the  date  is  given  if  it  has  been  possible  to  as- 
certain it;  in  another,  if  living,  such  fact  is  so  indicated 
under  the  heading,  "Remarks."  Where  an  elder  has  come 
up  from  the  diaconate,  it  is  so  stated,  and  the  length  of 
service  such  office-bearer  rendered  as  deacon  is  given,  and 
then  it  is  embraced  in  his  record  of  total  service. 

In  this  table  the  elders  are  graded  according  to  the 
length  of  service  rendered,  and  not  alphabetically  as  to 
name  or  date  of  commission.  Thus  those  serving  the  great- 
est number  of  years  are  given  first  place,  and  so  on  down 
the  line  to  those  who  have  served  the  shortest  length  of 
time. 

The  second  table  is  similarly  arranged  in  regard  to  the 
deacons  which  the  church  has  had  through  the  century,  and 
along  the  lines  above  indicated,  and  is  also  self-explana- 
tory. 


-135- 


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—136— 


Rev.  Thomas  Vekner  Mookk,  D.D. 

Pastor    1868-1871. 


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-141— 


You  will  find  in  Table  No.  i  that  from  its  organiza- 
tion to  this  time  the  church  had  been  served  by  seventy- 
one  ruling  elders,  forty-five  of  whom  were  chosen  direct 
from  the  membership,  while  the  remaining  twenty-six  were 
raised  from  the  diaconate.  These  ruling  elders,  together, 
have  given  the  congregation  a  grand  total  of  twelve  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  years  of  service,  or  an  average  of 
seventeen  years  plus  per  individual. 

From  Table  No.  2  you  will  see  that  fifty-nine  individuals 
have  served  the  church  only  as  deacons  through  the  same 
period,  which  gives  a  grand  total  of  five  hundred  and  ninety- 
six  years  of  service  they  have  rendered,  or  an  average  of  ten 
years  plus  for  each  person. 

There  have  been  seven  elders  who  have  served  40  years 
and  over  to  50 ;  six  elders  who  have  served  30  years  and  over 
to  40;  eleven  elders  who  have  served  20  years  and  over  to 
30 ;  twenty  elders  who  have  served  10  years  and  over  to  20 ; 
twenty-seven  elders  who  have  served  i  year  and  over  to  10. 

There  have  been  three  deacons  who  have  served  30  years 
and  over  to  40;  five  deacons  who  have  served  20  years  and 
over  to  30;  twenty  deacons  who  have  served  10  years  and 
over  to  20;  thirty-one  deacons  who  have  served  i  year  and 
over  to  10. 

There  have  been  twenty  elders  and  five  deacons  who 
have  served  over  twenty-five  years  each.  Of  this  number 
ten  elders  are  now  living,  but  only  one  deacon. 

From  the  eldership  two  have  heard  the  call  to  minister 
in  spiritual  things,  and  at  the  proper  time  were  duly  or- 
dained ministers  in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Richard 
Owen  Currey,  educator,  chemist.  State  geologist,  physician. 
Confederate  surgeon  and  editor,  was  ordained  in  1857.  So 
far  as  we  have  been  able  to  ascertain  he  never  became  the 
pastor  of  any  particular  church,  but  frequently  preached 
at  irregular  times  and  at  different  places.  He  died  in  his 
forty-ninth  year,  at  Salisbury,  N.  C,  on  February  17,  1865. 

—142— 


Rev.    J.    Thompson 

Plunket,    D.D. 
Deacon     1873-1881. 


William  Bryce  Thompson,  an  educator,  was  ordained  by 
Nashville  Presbytery  at  its  fall  meeting  on  October  17, 
1875.  For  a  time  he  had  charge  of  four  country  churches 
near  Nashville,  preaching  at  one  of  them 
each  Sunday  of  the  month.  Afterwards 
he  became  pastor  of  Harpeth  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  in  Williamson  County,  and 
Shiloh  Presbyterian  Church,  in  Sumner 
County.  While  pastor  of  these  churches 
he  would  return  and  preach  on  Sunday 
nights  at  the  Cottage  Presyterian  Church, 
in  Nashville  He  was  later  called  to  two 
churches,  one  at  Decherd,  Tenn.,  and  the 
other  at  Wartrace,  Tenn.  His  health 
failing  here,  his  physician  sent  him  to 
Mobile,  Alabama,  for  recuperation,  but  he  grew  worse 
and  finally  died  there  on  April  23,  1882.  He  had 
served  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  nine  years  ,  as 
elder  and  five  as  deacon — a  total  of  fourteen  years;  he 
was  also  Stated  Clerk  of  the  session  continuously  for  seven 
years  and  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school  for  seven  years  from  i860  to  1867. 
Two  from  the  diaconate  have  also 
become  ministers  in  the  church.  John 
Thompson  Plunket,  after  serving  the 
church  for  eight  years  as  deacon  and  fin- 
ishing the  prescribed  course  in  the  The- 
ological Seminary,  Columbia,  S.  C,  was 
ordained  a  minister  by  the  Nashville  Pres- 
bytery on  May  15,  1881.  He  at  once 
became  the  pastor  of  the  Steele  Creek 
Presbyterian  Church,  Steele  Creek,  N.  C, 
where*"Tie  remained  for  more  than  two  years.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1882,  he  was  called  to  the  Madison  Avenue  Church,  Cov- 
ington, Ky.,  remaining  there  during    the    six    succeeding 


Rev.    John     Irvine 

Armstrong. 
Deacon     1899-1904. 


-143- 


years.  Then  of  Jefferson  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church, 
Detroit,  Mich.,  he  was  pastor  two  years.  The  winters  there 
proving  too  severe  for  him,  he  accepted  a  call  to  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church,  Augusta,  Ga.,  where  he  continued  for 
nineteen  years  and  over,  when  he  became  pastor  of  the 
Highland  Presbyterian  Church,  Birmingham,  Ala.  Here  he 
remained  for  three  and  a  half  years.  After  delivering  a 
sermon  in  that  church  on  Sunday  morning,  November  lo, 
1912,  from  the  text,  "And  we  all  do  fade  as  a  leaf"  (Isaiah 
64:6),  he  hurried  home,  two  blocks  away,  and,  as  he  entered 
his  front  hall  he  fell  to  rise  no  more;  "for  he  was  not,  as 
God  took  him" — at  the  age  of  58.  He  was  made  Moderator 
of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian 
Church  at  its  meeting  held  in  Fort  Worth,  Texas,  in  1905. 

John  Irvine  Armstrong,  educator  and  editor.  He  served 
the  church  as  deacon  for  five  years,  when  he  as  minister 
was  ordained  in  October,  1906,  and  soon  afterward  became 
pastor  of  Kirkwood  Presbyterian  Church,  near  Atlanta, 
Ga.,  continuing  there  for  seven  years. 

While,  as  a  body  of  church  officers,  they  easily  compare 
favorably  with  similar  bodies  elsewhere,  and,  indeed,  aver- 
age much  above  men  as  one  meets  men  every  day,  yet  the 
tendency  of  human  nature  to  commit  sin  is  proverbial,  and, 
therefore,  they  claim  in  this  respect  to  be  no  exception. 
The  record  for  the  century  supplies  only  two  glaring  in- 
stances of  flagrant  sin  occurring  among  the  office-bearers 
of  the  church.  The  one  in  the  case  of  an  elder,  the  other 
of  a  deacon.  The  session  suspended  both  of  them  from  all 
official  duties  and  as  members  of  the  church,  also, 

COLONIES    FORMED. 

The  first  twenty-five  years  of  the  life  of  the  First  Pres- 
byterian Church  was  largely  consumed  in  making  its  own 
foundations  solid  and  in  studying  the  details  of  its  own 
development  and  growth;  the  last  seventy-five  years  of  its 
century  of  existence,  particularly  the  period  between  1840- 

-144— 


Ri:v.   TTknry  J.  Van   Dykk,   D.D., 

r.'istor    1872. 


IQOO,  was  one  of  expansion — the  establishing  of  other  Pres- 
byterian churches  in  and  near  Nashville.  During  this  period 
there  have  been  sent  out  from  this  church  no  less  than  nine 
different  colonies  for  this  purpose,  and  virtually  every  time 
such  a  colony  has  gone  forth  one  or  more  ruling  elders  of 
the  church  have  been  its  leaders.  Usually,  as  a  forerunner, 
a  Sunday  school  was  organized  in  the  locality,  as  was  done 
in  1840,  by  A.  G.  Adams,  J.  AI.  Hamilton,  Charles  A.  R. 
Thompson  and  others,  in  what  was  then  known  as  "Haynes' 
Warehouse,"  located  on  North  Market  Street  below  the 
Public  Square.  This  effort  proved  so  successful  that  at 
the  end  of  nearly  three  years,  in  1843,  there  was  formed 
in  the  First  Church  a  colony  under  the  leadership  of  Ruling 
Elder  Samuel  Seay,  with  the  assistance  of  A.  G.  Adams, 
James  M.  Hamilton,  Charles  A.  R.  Thompson,  Alpha  Kings- 
ley  and  others,  to  go  into  that  section  of  the  town  and 
organize  what  was  called  "the  Second  Presbyterian  Church." 
This  proved  to  be  a  most  happy  venture,  as  the  church  pros- 
pered in  a  high  degree  through  the  following  twenty  years. 
Then  its  prosperity  was  interrupted  by  the  desolating  and 
distracting  Civil  War,  whose  pall  hung  heavy  over  the  en- 
tire country,  demoralizing  the  affairs  of  the  church  no  less 
than  those  of  the  State.  On  May  4,  1867,  the  leading 
spirits  among  the  officers  and  members  of  the  Second 
Church  who  had  sympathized  with  the  Confederates  in  the 
war,  recently  ended,  petitioned  the  session  to  be  allowed 
to  return  to  the  mother  church,  setting  forth  their  reasons 
for  so  acting  in  a  written  paper  from  which  we  extract 
the  following:  "That  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Nashville  was  taken  possession  of  by  a  minority  of  the 
ruling  elders  (two  out  of  six  being  Federal  sympathizers) 
under  United  States  military  authority  in  1862,  and  it  had 
ever  since  been  held  and  used  by  said  minority."  It  is  not 
necessary  to  say  that  they  were  most  cordially  welcomed 
back  home.     In  1902  the  property  of  the  Second  Presby- 

—145- 

10 


terian  Church  was  sold  and  the  officers  moved  the  organi- 
zation to  North  Nashville,  where,  on  the  corner  of  Monroe 
Street  and  Ninth  Avenue,  they  erected  a  modern  brick 
edifice,  in  which  services  are  now  regularly  held.  When  the 
Second  Church  determined  to  make  this  move  the  Edgar 
Church,  not  far  from  the  new  location  of  the  Second 
Church,  decided  to  join  with  that  congregation.  The  two 
congregations  were,  therefore,  merged. 

In  1854,  Ruling  Elder  A.  W.  Putnam,  assisted  by  Dea- 
cons William  K  Hunter  and  Alfred  Hume,  established  and 
maintained  for  a  number  of  years  a  mission  Sunday  school 
near  the  southern  terminus  of  Bass  Street,  on  Stevenson 
Street,  in  Southwest  Nashville  The  social  conditions  occa- 
sioned by  the  Civil  War  rendered  it  necessary  to  suspend 
the  Sunday  school  during  the  period  of  conflict,  but  in  the 
summer  of  1865,  the  war  then  being  ended,  it  was  reestab- 
lished in  almost  the  same  locality  it  had  before  occupied. 
The  average  attendance  was  nearly  seventy-five.  In  1891 
a  colony  from  the  First  Church  was  formed,  with  Ruling 
Elder  H.  Hill  McAlister  as  leader,  assisted  by  Deacons 
Bradford  Nichol,  Sr.,  Byrd  Douglas,  William  C.  Collier 
and  others  as  teachers  in  the  Sunday  school  and  otherwise. 
Fifty-six  members  signed  a  petition  to  the  session  asking 
to  be  dismissed  from  the  First  Church  to  thus  go  and  or- 
ganize regularly  what  was  called  "the  Cottage  Presbyterian 
Church."  Through  the  twenty-three  years  since  elapsing 
this  church  has  had  seasons  of  great  discouragement,  but 
the  present  outlook  is  bright — the  congregation  now  wor- 
shiping in  a  comfortable  brick  church  building,  being  free 
from  debt  and  owning  a  nice  manse  next  door  to  the  churc'h. 

The  Bench  of  Elders,  being  fully  conscious  of  the  loss 
the  First  Church  would  sustain  in  the  leaving  of  Ruling 
Elder  McAlister,  by  resolution  gave  expression  of  their 
loss,  stating  that  he  had  been  an  officer  in  the  First  Church 
for  more  than  thirty  years,  during  which  time  he  had  "uni- 

—  146— 


formly  reflected  a  consistency,  fidelity,  self-sacrificing  zeal 
for  God,  and  a  cordial  fraternity  of  spirit  toward  every 
member  of  this  session."  It  may  be  truly  said  that  his  life 
abounded  in  good  words  and  works. 

On  May  7,  1858,  another  colony  was  formed  in  the 
First  Church,  and  in  this  instance  the  leaders  were  Ruling 
Elders  W.  B.  A.  Ramsey  and  Nathaniel  Cross,  who  set 
forth  in  their  petition  to  the  session  for  dismissal  "that 
in  their  opinion  the  interests  of  religion  in  general  and 
Presbyterianism  in  particular  would  be  greatly  promoted 
by  the  establishment  of  a  Presbyterian  Church  in  Edge- 
field." They  went  forth  charged  with  the  realization  of 
this  opinion.  Unexpected  discouragements,  however,  soon 
began  to  beset  their  pathway.  Within  a  few  months  after 
arriving  in  their  chosen  field  they  lost  by  death  their  most 
enthusiastic  leader,  W.  B.  A.  Ramsey,  and  many  minor 
difficulties  arose  and  speedily  took  definite  form ;  but  what 
proved  to  be  the  most  serious,  at  least  for  a  time,  was  the 
fact  that  there  began  an  era  of  a  deep-rooted,  far-reaching, 
bitter  political  excitement  over  the  entire  country,  which 
three  years  later  culminated  in  a  fierce,  unparalleled  Civil 
War,  lasting  from  1861  to  1865.  The  young  men  entered 
the  army,  incomes  were  greatly  cut  down  or  wholly  swept 
away,  society  faced  a  condition  close  to  chaos,  and  for  the 
greater  part  of  this  period  Nashville  was  but  a  military 
camp,  and  that,  too,  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy's  troops.  A 
prominent  member  of  the  church,  writing  just  after  the  close 
of  the  war,  says:  "So  uncertain  is  the  condition  of  our 
church,  dispersed  as  it  has  been  for  the  past  two  years,  and 
so  reduced  in  circumstances  are  our  members,  that  we  would 
now  hesitate  about  assuming  any  kind  of  obligation."  How- 
ever, with  a  faith  and  energy  born  of  desperation,  as  it  were, 
the  congregation,  as  he  further  states,  "considering  it  to  be 
our  duty,"  resolved  "to  go  forward,  trusting  to  the  Great 
Head  of  the  church  to  bless  us  and  crown  our  efforts  with 

—147— 


success."  As  a  consequence  they  today  occupy  a  spacious, 
handsomely  designed,  splendid  brick  edifice,  having  all  mod- 
ern improvements,  located  on  the  south  side  of  Woodland 
Street,  near  Sixth  Street,  and  are  entirely  free  from  debt. 

In  February,  1869,  Ruling  Elder  Jos.'  B.  O'Bryan  or- 
ganized and  became  Superintendent  of  a  mission  Sunday 
school  in  the  district  school  building  located  near  the  plant 
of  the  Tennessee  Manufacturing  Company,  in  North  Nash- 
ville. R.  S.  Cowan  was  later  made  Assistant  Superintendent 
of  the  Sunday  school.  From  the  beginning  the  attendance 
was  large,  averaging  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five.  It  was  not  long  until  there  was 
a  definite  demand  that  preaching  services  also  be  provided 
for,  so  Rev.  A.  H.  Price  was  employed  to  preach  here 
on  each  Sunday  and  to  canvass  and  visit  the  contiguous 
territory  through  the  week.  Through  voluntary  subscrip- 
tions a  building  suitable  for  chapel  services  as  well  was 
erected  in  1871,  two  years  after  the  organization  of  the 
church,  and  in  the  succeeding  years  many  were  received 
into  the  church.  On  Sunday  afternoon,  May  30,  1886,  a 
more  complete  church  organization  was  effected  and  the 
name  "the  Edgar  Presbyterian  Church"  adopted.  On  May 
28,  two  days  before  this,  there  had  been  presented  to  the 
First  Church  session  a  petition,  bearing  the  signatures  of 
one  hundred  and  eighty-three  members,  asking  dismissal 
to  this  new  church.  This  church  had  a  distinct  clientele  and 
accomplished  a  distinctive  work  in  the  social  and  religious 
life  of  the  mill  employes  of  its  locality.  As  before  stated, 
the  Edgar  Presbyterian  Church  was  merged  with  the 
Second  Presbyterian  Church  in  April,  1902,  when  that 
organization  moved  from  North  College  Street  (Third 
Avenue,  North)  to  its  present  site. 

In  1866,  Ruling  Elder  William  Bryce  Thompson  or- 
ganized a  Sunday  school  in  South  Nashville,  the  place  of 
organization   and   meeting  being   the   basement   of   an   old 


■148- 


brick  building-  on  the  northwest  corner  of  South  College 
Street   (now  Third  Avenue,  South)   and  Mulberry  Street, 
known  as  the  Gun  Factory.     This  was  continued  regularly 
each  Sabbath  up  to  1879,  when  it  was  deemed  advisable 
to  organize  the  Sunday  school  into  a  church,  which  was 
done,  and  the  new  church  was  named  "Westminster."     A 
lot  at  the  s.  e.  corner  of  South  College  and  Ash  Streets  was 
secured,  and  upon  this  there  was  erected  a  handsome  brick 
church    building,    with    a    seating   capacity   of   nearly   five 
hundred.     After  a  time  discouragements,  both  minor  and 
major,  began  to  appear  in  the  pathway  of  this  young  or- 
ganization.    What  was   regarded  as  the  most  serious   of 
these  was  the  finding,  even  at  the  outset,  that  the  field  was 
too   restricted,  and  as  time   went  on  it  became  more  and 
more   so,   several   other   denominations   having  built   their 
churches  within  a  radius  of  a  block  or  so  of  Westmin- 
ster, as  a  natural  consequence  of  which  all  were  made  to 
suffer  and  languish.     After  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury's  faithful  effort,  a  congregational  meeting  was  held 
on   November  26,    1905,  the  situation  was    carefully  and 
prayerfully   considered,   and   there   was   finally   adopted   a 
resolution  from  which  the  following  is  an  extract :     "That 
in  view  of  the  inability  of  the  church,  on  account  of  its 
small  membership,  and  there  being  only  a  few  of  such  mem- 
bership who  regularly  attend  upon  the  ordinances  or  en- 
gage in  the  work  of  the  church,  the  Board  of  Directors  of 
our  church,  by  its  President,  is  hereby  instructed  to  trans- 
fer and  convey  in  fee  simple  to  the  trustees  of  the  First 
Presbyterian   Church  the   church   building"  and  all   other 
assets  of  the  Westminster  Church. 

Thus  was  discontinued  for  the  time  being  all  effort  to 
advance  Presbyterianism  in  that  locality.  Most  of  the 
members  joined  the  First  Church,  and  the  sessional  records, 
etc.,  were  turned  over  to  the  Stated  Clerk  of  the  First 
Church   for  safekeeping. 

-149- 


In  1873  there  was  formed  and  sent  out  from  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  a  similar  colony  to  organize  in  the 
western  section  of  Nashville  what  it  had  been  decided 
to  call  the  "Moore  Memorial  Church,"  this  name  having 
been  given  the  new  church  in  memory  of  .one  of  the  most 
beloved  pastors  the  First  Church  had  ever  had — Rev, 
Thomas  Verner  Moore,  D.D.,  who  died  on  August  5,  1871. 
This  colony  had  as  its  leaders  Ruling  Elders  Charles  A.  R. 
Thompson  and  William  Henry  Smith,  assisted  by  Deacons 
George  G.  O'Bryan  and  Edgar  Jones.  The  church  erected 
by  them  was  a  very  handsome  brick  structure,  located 
on  West  Broad  Street,  nearly  opposite  the  southern  ter- 
minus of  Tenth  Avenue.  It  was  dedicated  on  March  23, 
1874,  and  truly  God  has  blessed  the  planting  of  this  vine 
in  his  vineyard,  for  from  the  very  outset  it  has  steadily 
flourished,  and  today  stands  as  one  of  the  leading  Presby- 
terian churches  in  the  city. 

On  August  4,  1888,  in  the  second  story  of  a  brick  resi- 
dence on  Clay  Street,  near  Jefferson  Street,  Ruling  Elder 
Joseph  B.  O'Bryan  organized  a  mission  Sunday  school 
with  thirty-nine  pupils.  By  December  3,  1889,  it  had  grown 
rapidly,  the  enrollment  being  two  hundred.  The  session 
of  the  First  Church  determined  to  give  this  new  Sunday 
school  close  attention,  and  to  that  end  a  committee  consisting 
of  Ruling  Elders  A.  G.  Adams  and  Joseph  B.  O'Bryan  and 
Deacon  John  Hill  Eakin,  was  appointed  to  take  charge  of 
and  look  after  the  affairs  of  the  mission.  The  interest  and 
attendance  continuing  to  increase,  the  committee  in  charge 
recommended  the  organization  of  a  church  and  the  erection 
of  a  church  edifice.  Tliis  recommendation  was  approved  by 
the  congregation,  and  on  Sunday  afternoon,  February  23, 
1890,  a  nice,  suitably  arranged  frame  building,  named  "A. 
G.  Adams  Church,"  and  located  on  the  west  side  of  Clay 
Street  (now  Twelfth  Avenue),  nearly  two  blocks  south  of 
Jefferson  Street,  was  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  God.    The 

-150- 


lot  was  bought  by  the  First  Church  at  a  cost  of  $i,ooo,  and 
the  building,  including  the  infant  class-room,  costing  $2,500, 
was  donated  by  Elder  Adams.  This  church  is  continuing 
to  do  good  work  among  its  people  and  in  the  northern  sec- 
tion of  the  city. 

On  May  4,  1890,  Ruling  Elder  Baxter  Smith  and  four- 
teen other  members  of  the  First  Church  obtained  letters 
of  dismissal  from  the  session  to  go  out  to  Waverly  Place, 
then  a  southwestern  suburb,  and  organize  Glen  Leven  Pres- 
byterian Church,^  the  building  to  be  located  on  Douglas 
Avenue.  A  Presbyterian  Sunday  school  had  been  organized 
in  that  neighborhood  nearly  twelve  months  before  this  time, 
and  this  Sunday  school  accomplished  much  in  attracting 
public  attention  throughout  that  locality  and  otherwise  aid- 
ing in  adding  to  the  membership  of  the  newly  organized 
church.  The  Sunday  school  was  transplanted  to  the  church 
building  as  soon  as  it  was  completed.  It  is  a  handsome 
brick  edifice  of  modest  but  tasteful  design,  substantial  in 
general  character,  and  well  located  upon  a  capacious  lot. 
This  church  at  once  entered  upon  a  career  of  manifest 
usefulness  and  prosperity. 

In  1899,  Ruling  Elders  Byrd  Douglas  and  Joseph  B. 
O'Bryan  organized  a  Sunday  school  in  West  Nashville, 
then  called  "New  Town,"  aided  by  Mr.  Mark  R.  Cockrill, 
whose  home  is  in  that  section  of  the  city.  In  1900  a 
suitable  brick  Sunday  school  building,  facing  west,  was 
erected  on  Forty-seventh  Avenue,  the  front  end  of  the 
lot  (which  faces  south  on  Charlotte  Avenue)  being 
reserved  for  a  handsome  brick  church,  which  it  is 
the  purpose  of  the  congregation  to  build.  Arrange- 
ments are  now  being  perfected  looking  to  the  earlv 
erection  of  this  building,  which  will  be  up-to-date  in  every 
essential.  The  average  attendance  upon  the  Sunday  school 
now  is  something  over  one  hundred.     The  Sunday  school 

^Sessional  Records,  Vol.  V,  p.  243. 

-151- 


building  was  so  constructed  that  it  might  also  be  used  for 
chapel  services,  and  has  been  so  used  up  to  this  time.  It  was 
dedicated  on  April  27,  1902.  The  membership  of  this 
church  now  numbers  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight. 

SUNDAY    SCHOOL. 

Many  have  found  it  difficult  to  understand  the  grounds 
for  the  opposition  which  arose  in  Nashville  to  the  first  in- 
troduction and  establishment  of  the  Sunday  school  by 
Mrs.  Felix  Grundy,  a  member  of  this  church,  and  others, 
in  1820.  This  opposition  became  quite  pronounced — indeed, 
acrimonious  on  the  part  of  a  few.  Such  a  contro- 
versy, and  upon  the  same  issue,  largely,  had  been  going  on 
for  some  time  in  England,  Raving  been  begun  there  when 
Robert  Raikes,  "the  Gloucester  philanthropist,"  as  he  was 
called,  first  attempted  to  establish  a  similar  form  of  Sunday 
school  in  his  own  town.  The  feeling  engendered  by  the 
controversy  between  the  Sabbatarian  and  the  liberal  became 
bitter  both  there  and  here,  and  for  many  years  the  effects 
of  the  controversy  were  in  evidence.  The  Sabbatarian  was 
unable  to  view  the  matter  in  any  light  other  than,  in  its 
last  analysis,  as  an  effort  to  establish  and  conduct  a  day 
school,  as  we  now  know  such,  in  large  measure,  upon  the 
Sabbath  day,  since  the  curriculum  at  first  adopted  both  in 
England  and  in  Nashville  was  not  much  else  than  the 
teaching  practically  of  the  two  R's — "reading  and  'riting" — 
and  that,  too,  upon  the  Sabbath  day,  and,  where  possible,  in 
the  church  edifice  itself.  As  time  wore  on,  however,  the 
curriculum  was  modified,  the  secular  features  being  grad- 
ually eliminated,  and  the  religious  and  moral — Bible  and 
catechism — being  given  greater  prominence  and  emphasis. 
Then  the  opposition,  while  not  entirely  removed,  gradually 
relaxed  and  was  much  less  in  evidence.  That  this  opposition 
was  still  sufficient  to  require  consideration  is  shown  in  the 
fact  that  twelve  years  after  the  Sunday  school  controversy 
began  in  Nashville,  and  when  the  first  church  edifice  lay 

—152- 


^ 


n 


X 


in  ruins  from  a  disastrous  fire,  the  church  officers,  in  plan- 
ning for  its  reconstruction,  felt  the  necessity  of  making  a 
frank  declaration  of  the  congregation's  position  as  to  the 
future  holding  of  these  semi-religious  Sabbath  schools  in 
an  edifice  dedicated  to  God  and  public  worship,  so  that,  in 
soliciting  subscriptions  from  the  general  public,  the  solicitors 
might  reassure  any  one  who  should  decline  to  subscribe 
because  of  the  presence  then  or  thereafter  of  such  an  or- 
ganization in  the  church  building;  certain  resolutions  were 
adopted  by  them  and  in  bold  letters  placed  at  the  head  of 
every  subscription  paper  so  used,  closing  with  the  words, 
"for  the  purpose  and  under  the  conditions  specified."  It 
was  the  sense  of  these  resolutions  that  there  should  be  held 
in  the  church  no  public  meetings  except  the  commencements 
of  the  university  and  "such  as  shall  be  for  the  benefit  and 
edification  of  the  congregation,"  and  that  "the  Sabbath 
school  be  transferred  to  some  other  place,  and  not  held  in 
the  rooms  appropriated  for  public  worship" ;  that  "all  per- 
sons subscribing  for  the  building  of  the  church  be  made 
acquainted  with  the  foregoing  resolutions."  The  destruc- 
tion of  all  the  church  records  in  the  fire  of  1832  prevents 
our  pursuing  this  interesting  history  further,  so  far  as  it 
relates  to  the  First  Church;  hence  we  are  unable  to  state 
in  details  what  finally  was  the  definite  solution  of  the 
question. 

We  can  say,  however,  that  after  a  time  there  was  estab- 
lished a  Sunday  school  in  connection  with  the  church.  This 
Sunday  school  was  approved  by  the  officers  and  generally 
by  the  members  of  our  own  as  well  as  other  churches  in  the 
community,  and  up  to  this  time  it  has  continued  in  a  fairly 
prosperous  way  to  meet  the  ideal  as  an  answer  of  the  church 
to  the  widespread,  growing  and  fundamental  demand  for 
religious  education  so  sadly  needed  by  the  masses  in  this 
day. 

The  Sunday  school,  as  we  see  it,  should  stand  for  the 
religious  education  of  the  masses  in  the  same  way  and  to 

—153- 


the  same  extent  that  the  public  school  stands  for  the  secu- 
lar education  of  the  masses ;  yet  a  comparison  of  results 
for  the  century  will  show  that  the  one  had  not  met  the 
expectations  of  the  community  as  has  the  other.  Why? 
Can  it  be  that  the  church  has  not  as  yet  realized  the  value 
and  the  potentialities  of  the  Sunday  school?  Radical  re- 
forms along  this  line  are  certainly  needed,  and  we  believe 
that  they  are  just  ahead  of  us  in  the  present  century.  The 
Sunday  school  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  has  had 
but  ten  Superintendents  since  its  establishment,  in  1822. 
Alpha  Kingsley,  an  active  church  worker  in  those  earlier 
days,  but,  so  far  as  the  record  shows,  never  elected  a  ruling 
elder  or  a  deacon,  was  made  its  first  "President."  The  fol- 
lowing have  since  served  as  its  Superintendents :  Ruling 
Elders  James  C.  Robinson,  Alexander  A.  Cassiday,  John 
Thompson,  William  Bryce  Thompson,  Adam  Gillespie 
Adams  and  William  H.  Raymond,  Sr.  (the  latter  has  been 
Superintendent  since  1895)  ;  Alfred  Hume,  deacon;  Robert 
A.  Lapsley  and  Leroy  J.  Halsey,  ministers. 

The  following  is  the  present  roster  of  the  officers  and 
teachers  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Sunday  school : 

Rev.  James  I.  Vance,  D.D.,  pastor. 

William    H.    Raymond,    Sr.,    school    superintendent ;    Charles    B. 
Glenn,  and  Clarence  B.  Wallace,  assistants. 
A.  G.  Adams,  treasurer. 
Frank  N.  Boensch,  Sr.,  secretary. 

John  H.  McEwen,  secretary  of  Elementary  Department. 
Lee  Cantrell,  membership  secretary. 
Miss  Margaret  Vance,  pianist. 

CRADLE   ROLL. 

Mrs.  Horace  H.  Trabue,  superintendent. 

beginners'  department. 
Claude  P.  Street  and  Mrs.  Horace  H.  Trabue,  superintendents. 
Mrs.    Ellen    Rich,    Miss    Fanuelle    C.    Lewis,    Miss    Elizabeth    P. 
Elliott,  assistants. 

PRIMARY  DEPARTMENT. 

Mrs.  Ellen  C.  Marshall,  superintendent. 

Mrs.  Mary  C.  Dorris  and  Miss  Martha  Hightower,  assistant 
superintendents. 

Mrs.  J.  E.  Hart,  Mrs.  John  Eagan,  Mrs.  Edgar  M.  Foster,  Mrs. 
Edwin   Hughes,    Miss   Adele    Raymond,    Miss    Lucile   Landis,    Miss 

—154- 


Georgia  Hume,  Miss  Gertrude  Talbot,  Miss  Felicia  G.  Porter,  Miss 
Sue  Rae  Symmes,  and  Miss  Ruby  Manning,  teachers. 

JUNIOR  DEPARTMENT. 

Mrs.    Leland    Hume,    superintendent. 

Mrs.  W.  D.  Witherspoon,  Mrs.  Anna  C.  Conger,  Mrs.  Allen 
D.  Berry,  Miss  Amanda  Phillips,  Miss  Henrietta  Sperry,  and  Miss 
Evelyn  Connell,  teachers. 

MAIN    SCHOOL. 

Mrs.  Martha  Foster,  Mrs.  L.  R.  Campbell,  Mrs.  James  I.  Vance, 
Mrs.  Geo.  M.  White,  Mrs.  J.  Vaulx  Crockett,  Miss  Elizabeth  Glenn, 
Miss  Eudora  Loeb,  Miss  Margaret  Myers,  Miss  Margaret  Vance, 
Geo.  M.  White,  H.  B.  Geer,  Morton  Adams,  Howell  Adams,  Wil- 
liam  Simpson,  teachers. 

ADULT   BIBLE    CLASSES. 

W.   R.  Wills,   President,   Men's   Bible  Class. 

S.  Waters  McGill,  teacher.  Adult  Men's  Bible  Class. 

C.  B.  Glenn,  teacher.  Ladies'  Bible  Class. 

Mrs.  W.  S.  McKittrick,  teacher.  Women's  Organized  Class. 

Mr.  H.  C.  Hibbs,  teacher.  Young  Men's  Class. 

TEACHER    TRAINING    DEPARTMENT. 

Mrs.  R.  S.  Doak  and  Miss  Adelaide  Lyon,  teachers. 
CHURCH    MEMBERSHIP. 

The  membership  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  fur- 
nishes a  subject  for  study  of  the  greatest  interest,  because 
in  many  respects  it  is  so  unusual,  and  in  the  hands  of  a 
master  it  could  be  made  more  interesting  than  any  one  of 
many  standard  works  of  fiction.  In  variety  and  richness  of 
material,  both  as  to  character  and  incident,  we  know  noth- 
ing of  a  similar  kind  comparable  to  it.  Before  the  Civil 
War  many  negroes,  chiefly  slaves,  became  members  of  this 
church.  In  its  roster  of  members  may  be  found  the  names 
of  those  wlio  have  been  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  the 
Nation,  State,  county  and  city  as  statesmen,  legislators,  mil- 
itary captains,  authors,  historians,  jurists,  physicians,  sur- 
geons, educators,  molders  of  public  opinion,  railroad  build- 
ers and  managers,  merchants,  manufacturers,  church  work- 
ers and  leaders,  and  many  other  classes.  (The  story  is  told 
that,  upon  entering  Princeton  University  as  a  boy,  he  whom 

-155- 


the  English-speaking  world  probably  regards  as  one  of 
the  most  popular  living  writers  of  prose  and  poetry,  regis- 
tered as  from  Nashville.  His  father  was  at  that  time  pas- 
tor of  this  church.)  An  equally  strong  list  could  be  made 
of  the  splendid  line  of  good  women  who  from  the  beginning 
have  outnumbered  the  men  in  the  membership  of  the  church. 
Many  of  tliese  women  gifted  far  above  ordinary,  brainy, 
highly  educated  and  accomplished  in  many  instances — yet 
who  through  traditional  repression  (which  has  not  a  single 
just  and  sane  reason  to  supoprt  it)  have  not  been  permitted 
to  take  any  prominent  part  in  either  the  legislative  or  the 
administrative  affairs  of  the  church,  and  which,  as  a  conse- 
quence, has  thereby  sustained  an  inestimable  loss ;  and  this 
has  been  no  less  a  discredit  to  the  denomination  as  such 
than  a  blot  upon  the  escutcheon  of  the  church.  The  enlight- 
enment of  the  twentieth  century,  we  feel  sure,  will  not  tol- 
erate this  reproach  longer. 

Among  the  denomiinational  influences  operative  in  the 
earlier  years  of  the  religious  life  in  this  section,  Presbyte- 
rianism  was  preeminent,  and  largely  has  it  held  first  place 
all  down  the  century.  Most  of  the  then  leading  families, 
to  name  only  a  few — McGavocks,  Grundys,  Humes,  Nichols, 
McNairys,  Leas,  Irwins,  Overtons,  Woods,  Lawrences,  Mc- 
Ewens  (many  others  could  be  named) — became  members  of 
this  church,  and  it  is  a  fact,  as  interesting  as  it  is  unusual, 
that  in  quite  a  number  of  instances  their  descendants  have  be- 
come members  also.  This  is  true  even  down  to  the  fourth, 
fifth  and  now  the  beginning  of  the  sixth  generation,  and 
many  of  them  today  are  not  only  members,  but  are  also  active 
in  the  Master's  service,  as  church  officers,  in  the  Sunday 
school,  in  the  young  people's  societies  or  in  other  auxiliaries 
of  the  church. 

Since  tbe  organization  of  the  church,  in  1814,  there  have 
been  admitted  by  the  session  to  membership  the  goodly 
number  of  5,525  individuals,  as  follows : 

-156- 


Received  prior  to  1833  116^ 

Received  between  1833  and  1868 — 

On  examination  7^4 

On  certificate  503— 1»287^ 

Received  between  1869  and  1914 — 

On  examination  "^^77^ 

On  certificate  2,344— 4,122^ 

Total    5,525 

From  these  figures  it  will  be  observed  that,  upon  an  aver- 
age, new  members  to  the  number  of  fifty-five,  plus,  have 
been  received  each  year,  or,  in  round  numbers,  nearly  five 
each  month,  through  the  first  one  hundrd  years  of  the 
church's  existence. 

In  19 1 3  the  communicants  of  the  church  numbered 
1,562. 

CHURCH    MONEYS. 

Church  finances  are  always  a  problem,  and,  oftentimes, 
the  larger  the  church  the  more  difficult  they  become.  The 
element  of  uncertainty,  ever-present  and  all-pervading,  is  a 
factor  which  must  be  reckoned  with  in  any  plan.  If  the 
ideal  is  to  be  approximated  in  any  degree,  this  feature  must 
be  reduced  to  the  minimum'  in  any  system  attempted.  The 
work  of  the  church  has  largely  to  be  planned  in  advance, 
and  this  necessarily  involves  an  outlay  of  money.  How, 
we  would  inquire,  can  the  church  officers  plan  definitely, 
economically  and  successfully  without  first  knowing  what 
their  resources  are  or  will  be — what  amount  of  funds  they 
can  definitely,  or  at  least  reasonably,  count  upon  to  meet 
the  necessary  expenses  of  such  an  effort?  It  is  features  like 
this  which  render  church  finances  such  a  perplexing  prob- 

*Bunting's  Manual,  1868.     Table,  p.  72. 
-Stated  Clerk  of  Session,  Cowan. 

-157- 


lem,  tlie  solution  of  which  has  involved  much  thought  and 
study  upon  the  part  of  the  ofificers  of  the  church. 

The  individuals  of  the  congregation  make  voluntary 
offerings  from  time  to  time,  these  offerings,  even  upon  the 
part  of  the  same  individual,  varying  both  as  to  amount  and 
as  to  the  time  they  are  made.  They  are  received  into  the 
church's  treasury,  and  in  turn  by  the  officers  given  to  the 
object  or  objects  most  important  and  urgent  in  the  con- 
duct of  the  affairs  of  the  church,  including  the  current  ex- 
penses and  those  incident  to  the  proper  maintenance  and 
care  of  the  material  interests  of  our  own  church.  Many 
have  been  the  plans  and  suggestions  offered  in  the  past  as 
to  a  practicable  system,  but  as  a  rule  they  have  not  proved 
satisfactory.  In  1900  a  joint  committee  of  elders  and 
deacons  carefully  reviewed  the  entire  subject.  As  a  result, 
a  new,  definite,  business-like  financial  system  was  adopted — 
a  complete  change  from  the  old ;  the  new  system  having  as 
its  most  distinguishing  features  the  "pledge  card,"  and  "the 
duplex-envelope  system,"  etc.  This  continues  to  be  opera- 
tive in  the  church,  and  is  probably  the  least  objectionable 
of  any  plan  that  has  as  yet  been  tried. 

At  the  spring  meeting  of  Presbytery  every  year  since 
1869  the  Stated  Clerk  of  the  session  of  this  church  has 
made  in  the  form  now  used  a  detailed  report  of  all  moneys 
received  and  how  expended  by  the  officers  of  the  church. 
It  is  easy,  therefore,  to  make  comparisons  for  these  forty- 
five  years.  However,  previous  to  1869,  as  far  back  as 
185 1,  a  different  form  was  used  in  making  such  reports, 
and  from  the  beginning,  1814  to  185 1,  thirty-seven  years, 
we  have  no  data  whatever ;  hence  we  are  unable  to  give 
anything  for  that  period.  So  it  is  the  grand  totals  only 
from  185 1  to  1914,  inclusive,  that  we  feel  warranted  in 
including  in  the  following  financial  statement,  and  even 
from  that  period  it  is  necessary  to  deduct  the  four  years, 
1862,   1863,   1864  and   1865,  when  the  church  edifice  was 

-158- 


occupied  by  the  Federal  military  authorities  for  hospital 

purposes  and  during  which  time  no  church  services  were 

held: 

Contributions  received  from  1851  to  1868,  inclu- 
sive     $  98723' 

Contributions  received  from  1869  to  1914,  inclu- 
sive       812,032^ 


Total   $910,755 

or  an  average  of  $15,437  per  year  for  the  fifty-nine  years 
for  which  we  have  dependable  data.  It  may  not  be  amiss 
here  to  state,  for  contrast,  that  during  the  last  year,  1913, 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church  collected  and  expended,  for 
all  causes,  the  sum  of  $32,807. 

DISCIPLINE. 

In  both  divine  and  human  law  provision  is  made  for 
the  arrest  of  evil  tendencies,  and  punishment  is  prescribed 
for  the  doing  of  unlawful,  overt  acts.  In  the  Presbyterian 
Church  the  power  to  enforce  this  provision,  to  administer 
this  punishment,  is  delegated  to  the  session  of  each  indi- 
vidual church.  In  the  "Form  of  Government"  adopted  by 
the  General  Assembly  "the  church  session  is  charged  with 
maintaining  the  spiritual  government  of  the  congregation, 
for  which  purpose  they  have  power  to  inquire  into  the 
knowledge  and  Christian  conduct  of  the  members  of  the 
church,  to  call  before  them  offenders  and  witnesses."  Then 
follows  a  list  of  penalties  to  be  imposed  upon  persons  found 
guilty.  The  ruling  elder  is  declared  to  be  the  representative 
of  the  people — the  members  of  the  church ;  and  we  are 
further  informed  that  "he  is  chosen  by  them  for  the  purpose 
of  exercising  government  and  discipline" — to  "govern"  in 
both  a  general  and  a  special  way  the  affairs  of  the  church 


'Bunting's  Manual.  1868.    Table,  p.  65. 
^Stated  Clerk  of  Session,  Cowan. 

—159- 


and  the  conduct  of  its  members,  and  in  no  less  a  direct  and 
tactful  way  to  "discipline"  effectively  all  those  offending. 
It  will  be  observed  that  it  is  not  made  simply  a  privilege  of 
the  session  so  to  act,  but  that  there  is  imposed  upon  those 
who  compose  that  body  a  solemn,  earnest  duty  to  act 
wherever  and  whenever  necessary,  and  in  so  doing  they  but 
discharge  that  which  they  solemnly  pledged  themselves  in- 
dividually to  do  in  the  compact  with  God  made  at  the  time 
of  their  ordination. 

The  General  Assembly,  being  so  impressed  with  the 
necessity,  value  and  wholesomeness  of  discipline  in  the 
church — discreetly  but  firmly  applied — gives  further  expres- 
sion upon  the  point  in  "'the  Confession  of  Faith,"  Chapter 
30,  Section  3,  as  follows :  "Church  censures  are  necessary 
for  the  reclaiming  and  gaining  of  offending  brethren ;  for 
deterring  of  others  from  like  offenses ;  for  purging  out 
that  leaven  which  might  infect  the  whole  lump ;  for 
vindicating  the  honor  of  Christ  and  the  holy  profession 
of  the  gospel,  and  for  preventing  the  wrath  of  God  which 
might  justly  fall  upon  the  church  if  they  should  suffer 
His  covenant,  and  the  seals  thereof,  to  be  profaned  by 
notorious  and  obstinate  offenders."  Yet,  however  the  fact 
be  explained,  in  these  latter  days  there  has  fallen  upon  the 
church  no  less  than  upon  society  in  general  an  indifference 
to  and  a  laxity  in  matters  of  discipline  which  is  of  common 
remark.  The  "rod"  upon  the  importance  of  which  the 
wisest  of  men  placed  such  unqualified  emphasis  has  virtually 
disappeared  from  the  home  and  also  from  the  school-room; 
in  the  civil  courts  of  the  land  there  is  constant  failure  to  ad- 
minister punishment  commensurate  with  offenses,  even 
those  found  guilty  of  capital  offenses  rarely  suffering  the 
extreme  penalty,  while  the  disciplining  of  a  church  member 
by  the  session  or  the  holding  of  a  church  trial  is  something 
which  few  if  any  of  this  generation  have  ever  witnessed  or 
even  heard  of.     Whither  all  this  is  leading  is  a  question 

—160- 


n 


which  it  behooves  thinking  minds  to  ponder  seriously.  It 
can  hardly  be  said  to  indicate  that  humanity  is  nearing  per- 
fection, and,  therefore,  no  longer  needs  such  restraining 
or  moulding  influences,  for  does  not  daily  observation  dem- 
onstrate the  opposite  to  be  true?  It  can  mean,  then,  only 
an  ugly  decadence  of  the  race  and  one  which,  if  not  checked, 
must  ultimately  land  us  again  at  the  bottom  rung  of  the 
ladder. 

In  the  record  of  this  church  for  fifty-six  years,  begin- 
ning in  1844,  when  it  appears  the  first  case  was  cited  be- 
fore the  session,  to  and  inclusive  of  1900,  when  the  last 
case  was  disposed  of,  there  have  been  thirty-eight  individual 
members  cited  before  the  session  for  disciplinary  purposes, 
twenty-six  males  and  twelve  females. 

CLOSING. 

There  yet  remains  abundant  material  with  which  to  elab- 
orate the  many  topics  and  subtopics  that  have  been  more 
or  less  briefly  treated  in  the  foregoing  pages ;  besides,  there 
could  be  added  a  number  of  other  subjects  of  equal  interest 
and  importance,  and  in  much  greater  detail,  and  which 
would  doubtless  add  value  and  strength  to  what  has  been 
said,  but  the  present  occasion,  it  would  seem,  does  not  call 
for  more  than  has  been  presented — simply  an  outline  of  the 
more  salient  features  found  in  the  official  record  of  the 
church  officers  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Nash- 
ville and  their  work  for  the  one  hundred  years  ending  on 
November  14,   1914. 


-]61 
11 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  PLACE  OIF  CALVINISM  IN  HISTORY. 
By  Prof.  Henry  E.  Dosker,  D.D. 

I  consider  it  a  great  honor  to  be  permitted  to  add  some- 
thing, however  insignificant,  to  your  great  jubilee. 

The  topic  assigned  to  me  for  discussion  is  wholly  con- 
genial, inasmuch  as  these  many  years  it  has  been  my  privi- 
lege to  guide  young  men  in  their  studies  in  the  limitless 
field  of  the  history  of  the  Christian  church.  It  is  a  won- 
derfully illuminaiting  study,  it  enlarges  our  horizon,  it 
broadens  and  deepens  our  view  of  things,  and  it  opens  up  an 
inexhaustible  storehouse  of  homiletic  illustrations.  It  com- 
pels us  everywhere  to  ask  the  question — why?  For  we  are 
not  merely  dealing  with  things  as  we  see  them,  but  are 
compelled  to  answer  the  question — how  did  things  come  to 
be  what  they  are?  And  in  the  answer  to  this  question  we 
find  the  source  of  the  genetic  study  of  church  history. 

When,  therefore,  I  set  myself  to  the  task  of  outlining  the 
place  of  Calvinism  in  history,  the  first  and  most  important 
thing  is  to  define  as  clearly  as  possible  what  we  understand 
by  Calvinism. 

Let  me  start  out  by  saying  that  the  system  which  bears 
the  name  of  Calvin  is  wrongly  so  called.  Of  all  men  Calvin 
would  have  been  the  last  one  to  sanction  the  use  of  his 
name  for  such  a  purpose,  his  very  principles  would  have 
forbidden  it.  What  we  call  Calvinism  is  a  thing  older  than 
Calvin,  and  it  survived  him.  It  is  not  the  narrow  concept 
of  an  almost  paralyzing  view  of  the  great  doctrine  of  elec- 
tion, of  which  its  historic  enemies  have  drawn  such  lurid 

—162— 


and  repulsive  caricatures.  Whoever  wants  to  know  Cal- 
vinism as  it  is  should  study  the  exhaustive  treatment  of 
the  subject  in  the  incomparable  Stone  lectures,  delivered  at 
Princeton  in  1898,  by  the  world-renowned  Calvinistic  leader, 
Dr.  A.  Kuyper,  of  The  Netherlands.  Historically  consid- 
ered, Calvinism  bears  a  threefold  aspect ;  you  may  consider 
it  in  its  theological,  its  ecclesiological  and  its  political  bear- 
ings. 

Says  Dr.  Robert  Fruin,  the  celebrated  liberal  Dutch  his- 
torian, not  a  Calvinist  nor  its  apologete  by  any  manner  of 
means :  "Calvinism  came  to  The  Netherlands  with  its  own 
well-defined  system  of  theology,  with  its  own  plan  of  demo- 
cratic church-order,  permeated  by  a  strong  ethical  sense 
and  zealous  as  much  for  the  moral  as  for  the  religious 
reformation  of  humanity"  (Tien  Jaren  uit  den  80  jarigen 
Oorlog  151).  And  Bakhuizen  Van  den  Brink,  a  still  more 
declared  liberal,  was  compelled  to  say,  "Calvinism  was  the 
highest  development  in  the  religious  and  political  principles 
of  the  sixteenth  century"  (Het  huwelyk  van  Willem  van 
Oranje  met  Anna  van  Saxon,  123). 

Calvinism  is  what  the  Germans  call  a  "Weltanschauung," 
a  broad  philosophical  view  of  the  world.  As  such  it  differ- 
entiates itself  from  the  Pagan,  the  Mahommedan,  the  Rom- 
ish and  the  modernistic  views  of  the  world.  It  sharply  de- 
fines the  believer's  relation  to  God,  to  his  fellowmen  and  to 
the  world.  It  demands  immediate  contact  with  God,  ex- 
cluding all  priestly  and  ecclesiastical  mediation.  It  regards 
all  men  as  equal  before  God  and  before  the  law.  It  sees 
the  curse  of  sin  in  this  world  stemmed  by  grace,  it  honors 
the  life  of  the  world  in  its  substantiality  and  seeks  the  de- 
velopment of  all  the  wealth  of  culture  and  intellect  and 
power,  placed  in  this  world  by  God 

It  will  but  glance  in  passing  at  the  theological  and  eccle- 
siological aspects  of  Calvinism,  since  my  main  aim  is  to  show 
you  what  Calvinism  historically  has  meant  to  mankind. 

—163— 


Theologically  considered  Calvinism  did  not  originate  and 
therefore  could  not  have  died  with  Calvin.  The  main 
outlines  of  the  system  are  as  old  as  the  life  of  the  church. 
Their  norm  is  found  in  the  teachings  of  Christ ;  Paul  taught 
them  and  after  him  Augustinus  and  the  venerable  Bede, 
Alcuin  and  Anselm,  St.  Bernard  and  Thomas  Aquinas, 
Bradwardine  and  Wickliffe  and  Huss,  Wessel  and  Savona- 
rola. Calvinism,  so-called,  therefore  stands  for  an  organic 
process  in  the  history  of  theology. 

As  such  it  is  capable  of  extension  and  modification,  its 
main  principles  only  remaining  absolutely  fixed.  But  the 
very  name  unfortunately  became  a  synonym  for  oppression 
and  narrov^mindiedness  through  the  shortsightedness  of 
men.  To  the  rationalistic  mind  of  the  Illumination,  which 
began  in  Germany  a  century  ago,  the  theology  of  Geneva 
seemed  puerile  and  hopelessly  passe.  The  French  Revolu- 
tion, with  its  shameless  motto — Ni  Dieu  ni  maitre,  neither 
God  nor  master — formed  its  veritable  moral  antithesis.  The 
slavish  imitation  of  the  life  of  Geneva  by  the  followers 
of  Calvin,  who  stood  nearest  to  him  in  point  of  time,  caused 
his  name  to  be  execrated.  The  blue  laws  of  Geneva,  abso- 
lutely needed  there  to  sear  out  the  immoralities  of  the  liber- 
tines, which  cried  to  high  heaven,  were  adopted  in  coun- 
tries and  environments  where  they  were  wholly  needless 
and  thus  a  straight  jacket  was  put  on  a  perfectly  sane  pa- 
tient and  the  process  was  justly  resented.  But  a  reaction 
has  come.  Calvin  is  studied  in  Germany  as  he  has  never 
been  studied  before  and  the  literature  on  the  subject,  ex- 
panding year  by  year,  has  grown  beyond  the  possibility  of 
keeping  up  with  it.  Calvin  is  dead,  his  very  grave  is  un- 
known and  unmarked,  but  Calvinism  lives  and  will  live  till 
the  end  of  time. 

Calvin  cannot  be  conceived  without  Luther,  Luther  can 
be  conceived  without  Calvin.  The  latter  built  on  the 
massive  foundation  laid'  by  the  former.     But  of  all  the  re- 

-164— 


formers  Calvin  alone  had  the  power  of  intellect  to  reach 
the  logical  ultimates  of  the  reformed  system.  Luther  for- 
mulated two  principles,  the  formal — the  authority  of  the 
holy  scriptures  and  the  material — justification  by  faith. 
Calvin  adopted  only  the  first,  he  neither  needed  nor  wanted 
a  secondary  principle.  Do  not  for  a  moment  imagine  that 
the  doctrine  of  election  fills  that  place  in  his  system.  He 
adopted  Luther's  major  principle  and  that  alone.  Dr.  Wil- 
liston  Walker,  of  Yale,  has  seen  and  acknowledged  this  in 
his  splendid  biography  of  the  reformer.  The  great  doc- 
trines of  salvation  are  perfectly  coordinated  in  Calvin's  In- 
stitutes, which  tower  like  a  mountain  in  a  plain  above  all 
the  reformatory  writings  of  the  sixteenth  century.  Kamp- 
schulte,  a  Roman  Catholic  biographer  of  Calvin,  calls  him 
the  "Aristotle,"  and  Martin,  a  liberal  French  historian,  the 
"Thomas  Aiquinas"  of  the  Reformation.  And  these  titles 
are  deserved.  Standing  on  the  basis  of  the  absolute  au- 
thority of  the  scriptures,  Calvin  formulated  the  compre- 
hensive principle  of  the  Glory  of  God,  as  the  mainspring 
of  all  existence.  All  his  theology  centers  in  this  one  idea, 
*'Out  of  Him  and  through  Him  and  unto  Him  are  all 
things."  Man  in  God's  hands  is  like  clay  in  the  hands  of 
the  potter,  and  he  must  glorify  God  whether  in  life  or  in 
death,  in  time  or  in  eternity.  All  this  world,  with  its  end- 
less manifestations  of  power  and  glory,  exists  to  that  end 
alone.  All  human  institutions  and  relationships,  all  intel- 
lectual achievements,  all  science,  all  art,  all  civil  power  are 
to  that  end.  God,  God  sovereign  over  all,  is  the  center  and 
circumference  of  all  existence.  Wonderfully  bold  and 
strangely  inspiring  idea! 

In  his  ecclesiology  Calvin  apprehended  the  church  as 
the  totality  of  all  believers,  conceived  as  visible  and  in- 
visible, the  mother  of  us  all,  outside  of  which  there  is  no 
salvation.  He  conceived  of  the  sacraments  as  signs  and 
seals  of  divine  grace.     Leaning  more  toward  Luther  than 

—165- 


toward  Zwingli  in  his  doctrine  of  the  supper,  he  saw  in  it 
far  more  than  a  mere  memorial  of  the  death  of  Christ; 
to  him  it  meant  an  actual  and  soul-nourishing  communion 
with  the  living  Christ. 

The  members  of  the  church  formed,  in  his  view,  a  uni- 
versal priesthood,  revealing  itself  in  the  representative 
office  of  the  eldership,  and  thus  he  laid  the  foundations 
for  that  great  body  of  believers,  which,  under  various 
names  and  in  various  lands,  bear  the  common  earmark  of 
Presbyterianism.  Democracy  is  written  large  both  over 
his.,  ecclesiastical  and  civil  concept.  There  is  only  one  sov- 
ereign, Almighty  God,  and  before  Him  all  the  nations,  kings 
and  subjects,  great  and  small,  rich  and  poor,  cultured  and 
uncultured,  are  but  as  dust  in  the  balances.  All  power  that 
is  is  God's  and  the  nations  are  as  nothing  before  Him. 

Can  you  conceive  of  such  a  system  rightly  apprehended 
as  anything  less  than  a  "Weltanschauung,"  a  view  of  the 
world,  and  do  you  wonder  that  it  has  modified  the  whole 
course  of  human  history  since  its  entrance  on  the  stage? 

Let  us  look  at  this  phase  of  it  a  bit  more  closely.  What 
place  has  Calvinism  occupied  and  does  it  occupy  in  human 
history  ? 

As  we  all  know,  there  are  two  main  currents  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  Reformation — the  Lutheran  and  the  Calvinistic. 
The  first  lies  nearer  the  common  source  and  might  therefore 
logically  be  expected  to  mark  the  main  channel.  And  yet, 
when  we  study  the  history  of  Protestantism,  we  find  the 
opposite  to  be  the  case.  Luther  was  a  German,  never  more 
nor  less,  and  the  Reformation,  founded  by  him,  remained 
for  all  time  characteristically  Teutonic.  It  never  attained 
to  cosmopolitanism.  In  the  Lutheran  branch  of  the  Reform- 
ation we  find  therefore  only  the  German  and  Scandinavian 
groups  of  nations. 

Calvinism,  starting  at  Geneva,  first  of  all  absorbed  the 
Zwinglian  Reformation  and  conquered,  or  at  least  strongly 

-166— 


invaded,  successively  France,  The  Netherlands,  Bohemia, 
Moravia,  the  Palatinate,  England,  Scotland,  Ireland  and 
the  new  world.  If  it  be  said  that  England  ecclesiastically 
presents  almost  an  antithetical  form  of  church  life,  hier- 
archial  instead  of  presbyterial,  let  us  not  forget  that  the 
thirty-nine  articles  are  Calvinistic  in  theology  and  that  the 
Puritan  and  Independent  movements  clearly  indicate  the 
sway  of  Geneva  in  the  national  history. 

And  even  pure  Lutheranism  lost  itself  in  the  mightier 
current  when  in  1817,  under  Frederick  William  III,  on  the 
occasion  of  the  tercentenary  of  the  Reformation,  the  Re- 
formed and  Lutheran  churches  of  Germany  melted  together 
in  the  "United  Reformed  Church  of  Germany." 

What,  then,  was  the  inherent  weakness  of  Lutheranism 
which  gave  to  Calvinism  this  overshadowing  importance? 

The  answer  may  be  given  in  a  word.  Luther  stopped 
at  a  halfway  house.  He  never  got  entirely  away  from 
Rome ;  he  never  reached  the  logical  ultimate  of  his  own 
position.  His  doctrine  of  salvation  sharply  differentiated 
him  from  Rome,  but  his  views  of  the  church,  of  her  wor- 
ship, of  her  clergy,  of  her  sacraments,  were  but  a  day's 
journey  removed  from  Rome.  Above  all  his  views  of  the 
relation  between  church  and  state  were  a  deadly  menace  to 
the  future  of  his  enterprise.  Princes  and  governments  were 
given  a  status  in  the  affairs  of  the  Lutheran  Church  wholly 
unwarranted  by  Luther's  own  formal  principle — the  abso- 
lute authority  of  the  holy  scriptures.  The  motto,  "cuius 
regio  illius  religio,"  laid  the  foundation  for  a  Caesaropapay, 
which  doomed  the  Lutheran  Reformation  to  ultimate  fail- 
ure. This  attitude  to  the  state,  or  rather  this  interference 
of  the  state  in  the  affairs  of  the  church,  made  the  wide 
spread  of  Lutheranism  impossible  in  a  current  of  democ- 
racy, which  since  the  days  of  the  Reformation  ever  grew 
in  strength. 

And  here  is  the  very  essence  of  the  place  which  Cal- 

—167— 


vinism  occupies  in  history.  We  commit  a  mistake  when  we 
call  Calvin's  political  ideal  a  theocracy.  In  Calvin's  system 
the  state  and  the  church  were  strictly  coordinated,  God 
being  sovereign  in  both  spheres.  The  state  had  the  law, 
the  church  the  gospel  and  prayer.  All  church  members, 
ministry  and  laity  alike,  were  subject  to  the  civil  power  and 
its  law.  But  inversely  all  magistrates,  as  believers,  were 
subject  to  the  church  and  her  discipline.  Both  spheres  were 
sovereign  in  their  own  domain.  It  is  therefore  wrong  to 
speak  of  the  government  of  Geneva  as  a  theocracy.  Per- 
sonally Calvin  was  inclined  to  a  self-perpetuating  aristo- 
cratic oligarchy.  But  he  builded  better  than  he  knew.  His 
principles  reached  farther  than  his  practice,  and  it  was  his 
system  which  laid  the  foundation  of  and  became  the  guar- 
antee for  civil  liberty  and  an  ever-expanding  democracy. 

It  was  he  who  created  individualism  in  national  affairs, 
who  laid  the  foundation  for  a  new  order  of  things,  in  which 
each  citizen  was  to  have  a  part.  The  principle  of  individual- 
ism once  asserted,  the  rights  of  the  people  once  recognized 
and  the  great  structure  we  call  popular  sovereignty  must 
arise.  Rome  stood  for  church  absolutism,  Luther  for  State 
absolutism,  Zwingli  for  Erastianism  or  paternalism,  Calvin 
and  he  alone  for  sovereignty  in  church  and  state  alike, 
bound  only  by  the  will  of  God  and  therefore  for  a  free 
church  in  a  free  state. 

Thus  Calvinism  became  the  pioneer  for  political  Mod- 
ernism and  his  influence  on  the  development  of  modern  his- 
tory and  modern  man  can  never  be  overestimated.  And 
it  was  not  the  political  aspect  of  Calvinism,  not  the  civic 
principle  of  human  individuality  or  of  the  right  of  man 
over  against  man,  which  wrought  the  miracle  and  achieved 
the  great  historical  success  which  it  did  achieve ;  but  it  was 
the  potency  of  the  religious  principle  underlying  it  which 
did  it  all. 

A  cursory  glance  will  convince  the  most  skeptical  or 

-168- 


Rev.  Thomas 

Pastor 


A.    HOYT, 

1873-1883. 


D.D. 


the  most  hostile  of  the  rejuvenating  influence  which  Cal- 
vinism has  exerted  over  the  nations  which  fell  under  its 
sway.  Says  Dr.  Kuyper,  in  his  Stone  lectures:  "This 
change  in  the  history  of  the  world  could  not  have  been 
brought  about  except  by  implanting  a  new  principle  in  the 
human  heart  and  by  opening  up  a  new  world  of  thought  for 
the  human  spirit."  And  again:  '"From  Western  Europe 
the  mighty  impulse  proceeded  which  caused  science  and 
art  to  flourish,  which  opened  new  channels  for  commerce 
and  industry,  which  illumined  family  and  civic  life,  which 
elevated  the  burgher  class  to  a  position  of  honor,  which 
equalized  the  rights  of  employer  and  employee,  which  caused 
philanthropy  to  bloom  and  which  above  all,  by  its  puritani- 
cal seriousness,  has  elevated  the  moral  life  of  humanity  and 
purified  and  ennobled  it." 

The  countries  which  came  under  Calvin's  influence  were 
the  strongest  in  the  world.  Where  it  was  absent,  govern- 
ments are  aristocratic,  autocratic,  tyrannical  even.  Where 
it  was  present,  constitutional  government  and  the  democracy 
flourish.  Calvin's  touch  created  men  and  women  of  steel 
and  marble,  men  and  women  of  fixed  purpose,  exalted  prin- 
ciples and  large  hopes,  liberty-loving  men  and  women,  fear- 
ing God  and  Him  alone  and  dreading  no  man  in  whose  nos- 
trils is  the  breath  of  life. 

Calvinism  recognized  that  since  sin  is  in  the  world  we 
need  magistrates  to  curb  and  control  it,  as  the  bearers  of 
divine  sovereignty,  but  also  that,  by  virtue  of  our  individual 
rights,  we  must  continually  watch  against  the  menace  of 
state  power.  Ages  ahead  of  his  time,  Calvin  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  announce  the  idea  of  popularly  elected  magistrates 
as  "by  far  the  more  desirable  liberty."  The  political  con- 
fession of  Calvinism  is  therefore  thus  formulated  by  Dr. 
Kuyper:  "i.  God,  and  He  alone,  possesses  sovereign  rights 
over  the  nations,  because  He  created  them,  sustains  them 
by  His  Almighty  power  and  rules  them  by  his  ordinances. 
2.  In  the  realm  of  political  life  sin  has  broken  down  the 

-169- 


direct  divine  government,  and  therefore,  as  a  mechanical 
substitute,  human  governments  and  their  authority  have 
arisen.  3.  Whatever  may  be  the  form  of  this  government 
one  man  never  possesses  power  over  another  man  except 
by  an  authority  which  has  been  conferred  on  him  by  the 
majesty  of  God."     (Stone  Lectures,  III.) 

Do  we  wonder  that  the  liberty-loving  races  of  Western 
Europe  received  these  new  doctrines  as  the  prophecy  of 
'hope  for  a  new  future? 

Calvinism  came  to  them  like  the  dawning  of  a  new  day. 
It  subverted  all  the  old  ideas  of  life,  it  broke  the  shackles 
of  the  ages,  it  swept  away  traditions,  which  had  kept  the 
minds  of  men  in  a  thrall  of  unbreakable  mental  and  spiritual 
dominion,  it  glorified  God  and  lifted  man,  common  man,  to 
an  undreamed-of  position  of  independence ;  it  quenched  the 
age-long  thirst  for  individual  liberty  and  it  pointed  prophet- 
ically to  a  future  where  a  new  free  man  would  stand  in  a 
new  free  world,  bathed  in  the  light  of  the  sovereign  glory 
of  God. 

Do  I  exaggerate  or  overstate  my  case? 

Let  us  see  how  the  problem  has  worked  out,  what  Cal- 
vinism actually  has  done  for  the  nations  which  fell  under 
its  sway. 

Dr.  Fruin,  quoted  above,  justly  reminds  us  that  in 
Switzerland,  Holland,  Scotland,  England  and  wherever 
Protestantism  had  to  grasp  the  sword,  it  was  Calvinism, 
and  it  alone,  which  was  always  victorious. 

Before  we  glance  at  the  actual  achievements  of  Calvinism 
in  history,  let  Dr.  Kuyper  tell  us  what  would  have  happened 
had  Calvinism  not  arisen:  "First  of  all  Spain  would  have 
conquered  the  lowlands,  the  Stuarts  would  have  remained 
masters  in  Great  Britain,  in  Switzerland  a  liberalizing  type 
of  Zwinglian  reform  would  have  prevailed,  and  the  begin- 
nings of  American  life  would  have  been  wholly  different. 
The  balance  of  power  in  Europe  in  the  sixteenth  and  seven- 

-170— 


teenth  centuries  would  have  been  differently  adjusted  and 
Protestantism  would  have  been  unable  to  maintain  itself. 
Nothing  could  have  thwarted  the  Romish  conservative 
powers  of  the  Hapsburgs,  the  Bourbons  and  the  Stuarts, 
and  the  popular  liberties  of  Western  Europe  and  America 
would  have  been  inconceivable.  History  would  have  been 
written  differently  and  with  darker  ink."     (Stone  Lectures, 

I-) 

I  will  even  go  further  than  Dr.  Kuyper  and  affirm,  with- 
out danger  of  contradiction,  that  Protestantism  would  have 
shared  the  fate  of  the  pre-re  forma  to  ry  movements  of  Wick- 
liffe,  Huss,  Savonarola  and  Wessel.  For  it  was  Calvinism 
which  rescued  the  decaying  and  instable  type  of  the  Lutheran 
Reformation  from  extinction  and,  infusing  new  life  and  new 
courage  in  it,  recreated  it  and  made  it  unconquerable. 

Look  for  a  moment  at  the  Calvinistic  current  as  it 
sweeps  northward  from  its  humble  source  in  the  little  bor- 
der city  of  Geneva. 

The  redwood  tree  is  the  very  monarch  of  the  forests  and 
yet  its  seed  is  infinitessimally  small.  Geneva  was  the  least 
among  the  centers  of  the  Reformation,  and  yet  from  it 
sprung  a  force  which  was  destined  to  encircle  the  world 
and  to  renovate  humanity. 

In  the  days  of  the  Reformation  three  forces  were  fight- 
ing for  the  mastery  in  France:  i.  Humanism,  extremely  lib- 
eral in  its  views,  led  by  men  like  Rabelais  and  Montaigne. 
2.  Rome,  strongly  influenced  by  Jesuitism  and  controlling 
the  seats  of  power.  3.  Calvinism,  immensely  popular 
among  the  masses  and  a  portion  of  the  nobility,  but  finally 
crushed  by  the  government,  dreaded  on  account  of  the 
changes  and  sacrifices  it  demanded. 

The  main  principles  of  Calvinism,  in  its  theological 
sense,  had  been  foreshadowed  by  James  Le  Fever  at  Paris 
long  before  the  German  Reformation  had  begun  its  history. 
The  story  of  the  Huguenot  struggle  is  one  of  endless  suf- 

-171- 


fering.  No  country  in  Europe  was  so  drenched  by  martyr 
blood  as  was  France,  nowhere  was  the  struggle  between 
Rome  and  Protestantism  fiercer  or  more  protracted.  It 
lasted  the  better  part  of  a  century.  And  yet  the  Huguenot 
cause  survived  it  all.  Neither  the  eight  religious  wars  nor 
the  bloody  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew,  in  1572,  suc- 
ceeded in  destroying  it.  Like  a  phoenix  it  ever  rose  trium- 
phant from  its  ashes.  With  the  promulgation  of  the  edict 
of  Nantes  by  Henry  IV,  in  1558,  its  future  seemed  guar- 
anteed. But  its  revocation,  a  century  later,  in  1685,  by 
Louis  XIV,  seemed  to  mark  its  utter  destruction  as  a 
national  force.  What  that  date  stands  for  let  another 
date,  again  a  century  later,  witness. 

By  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes,  France  evis- 
cerated herself;  she  committed  political  suicide.  The  Cal- 
vinistic  Huguenot  buffer  between  the  proletariat  and  the 
throne,  the  nobility  and  the  clergy  was  removed,  and  in  the 
inevitable  clash  between  the  two,  in  the  cataclysm  of  the 
revolution,  both  the  throne  of  the  Bourbons  and  the  church, 
which  had  been  made  drunk  with  the  blood  of  Protestant- 
ism, went  down  to  one  common  doom.  And  yet  the  under- 
lying principles  of  this  horrible  catastrophe  were  a  carica- 
ture of  one  of  the  fundamental  demands  of  Calvinism — the 
equality  and  brotherhood  of  man.  The  French  revolution 
was  but  a  grotesque  reflex  of  the  Huguenot  past. 

Where,  pray,  did  Montesquieu,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
the  revolution,  get  his  idea  of  a  threefold  form  of  govern- 
ment, the  executive,  the  legislative  and  the  judicial  depart- 
ments, expressed  about  1750,  in  his  great  work,  "The  Spirit 
of  the  Law,"  except  from  the  organization  of  the  Huguenot 
Church?  French  Calvinism,  as  organized,  if  we  may  be- 
lieve Professor  Baird,  in  his  "Rise  of  the  Huguenots," 
looked  to  nothing  short  of  a  representative  government, 
protected  by  suitable  guarantees  and  to  complete  religious 
liberty.     (Vol.  I,  49.) 

—172- 


And  again  he  says  in  his  "Revocation  of  the  Edict 
of  Nantes" :  "The  jealousy  with  which  the  crown  viewed 
the  political  assemblies  of  the  Protestants  was  not  altogether 
unreasonable,  for  in  truth  those  periodical  gatherings  of  the 
representatives  of  the  Reformed  communities  revealed  very 
clearly  the  growth  of  the  tendencies,  which  in  more  recent 
times  have  given  birth  to  free  institutions,  whether  in  the 
form  of  republican  government  or  of  constitutional  mon- 
archy."     (Vol.  I,   10,  12.) 

I  have  quoted  Professor  Baird  to  substantiate  my  views 
expressed  above.  It  is  evident  that  republican  France  today 
is  building  on  the  shattered  foundations  laid  by  the  great 
statesman  of  Geneva,  that  the  democracy  of  modern  France 
roots  itself  in  the  graves  of  the  Huguenots,  that  wavering 
and  vaccinating  as  it  may  be,  stunted  and  dwarfed  in  its 
growth  as  it  unquestionably  is,  the  democracy  of  France  was 
robbed  of  what  it  might  have  been  by  the  revocation  of  the 
edict  of  Nantes. 

Calvinism  reached  The  Netherlands,  after  two  futile 
waves  of  reform  had  passed  over  the  country  and  re- 
ceded, viz :  the  Lutheran  and  Anabaptist  types  of  'the 
Reformation.  The  first  exalted  man's  position  in  the  church 
till  he  became  its  overlord,  the  second  secluded  itself  from 
the  world  and  revived  the  ancient  ascetic  view  of  life.  Cal- 
vinism did  neither ;  it  did  not  overvalue  man  nor  did  it  un- 
dervalue the  world.  It  captivated  the  popular  regard,  it 
imbedded  itself  in  the  Dutch  life  and  it  fulfilled  its  every 
implied  promise  in  the  lowlands,  for  there  it  created  a  free 
church  in  a  free  State.  Here  the  democratic  spirit  of  Cal- 
vinism had  an  untrammeled  opportunity.  Here  it  created 
the  first  true  republic  in  modern  history,  since  the  Swiss 
were  an  Amphyctionic  confederacy,  entirely  distinct  from 
a  true  republic. 

And  what  marvels  this  Calvinism  has  wrought  in  these 
lowlands !     It  enabled  a  weak  commercial  people,  wholly 

-173- 


unfit  for  war,  to  burst  fully  armed  into  the  arena  of  political 
life  and  to  humble  the  Spanish  empire,  the  greatest  of  con- 
temporaneous powers,  after  a  struggle  so  protracted  that  the 
time  element  of  it  seemed  to  be  lost.  In  The  Netherlands 
it  proved  what  it  might  do  under  favorable  conditions,  for 
the  full  tide  of  its  development  there  bore  on  its  crest  the 
golden  age  of  Dutch  political  power,  the  greatest  triumphs 
of  Dutch  art  and  science  and  literature.  True  are  unques- 
tionably the  words  of  Froude  in  his  "J^^i^s  Caesar" :  "Cal- 
vinism, while  it  was  believed,  produced  characters  grander 
and  nobler  than  any  which  republican  Rome  produced, 
.  .  .  but  when  doubt  had  once  entered  the  spell  of  Cal- 
vinism was  broken."  The  lowlands  lost  their  virgin  grip  on 
Calvinism,  rationalism  replaced  it,  the  republic  went  under 
and  gave  place  to  the  "Little  Holland"  of  modern  times. 

And  was  it  different  in  Great  Britain  ? 

Poole,  of  Balliol  College,  Oxford,  had  a  clear  vision 
when  he  wrote,  in  his  "Huguenots  of  the  Dispersion"  (page 
i)  :  "But  men  were  no  sooner  reconciling  themselves  to 
the  altered  conditions  (referring  to  the  changes  wrought 
by  the  Lutheran  Reformation)  than  there  arose  in  an  ob- 
scure republic,  just  freed  from  its  bishop's  tyranny,  another 
system,  taking  its  color  from  the  polity  of  its  birthplace, 
destined  in  time  to  transform  the  national  life  in  Holland, 
England  and  Scotland,  and  to  organize  in  France  an  anti- 
monarchial  party,  only  to  be  quelled  by  a  measure  involv- 
ing the  temporary  ruin  of  the  country.  The  Presbyterian 
theory  could  not  flourish  in  the  face  of  the  absolute  views 
of  the  sovereigns  of  the  time.  Everywhere  it  avowed  or 
encouraged  a  frank  spirit  of  resistance,  the  diffusion  of  the 
system  being  uniformly  accompanied  by  a  strenuous  ten- 
dency towards  public  freedom."  Poole  evidently  appre- 
ciated the  political  creed  of  Calvinism.  Yes,  it  is  true, 
wherever  it  goes  the  democracy  follows :  James  I  of 
England  understood  it  when,  on  his  ascension  of  the  throne, 

-174- 


he  said  that  the  terms  king  and  presbytery  were  about  as 
well  agreed  as  God  and  the  devil,  or  words  to  that  effect. 
Between  the  fundamental  Calvinistic  principle  of  human 
individualism  and  royal  tyranny  a  gulf  impassable  is  fixed. 
Elizabeth  had  seen  it  before  James,  and,  recognizing  the 
danger,  had  waged  a  desperate  war  against  Puritanism. 

It  was  the  Calvinistic  spirit  of  independentism  which 
laid  the  axe  to  the  tree  of  the  absolutism  of  the  Stuart 
throne.  In  Scotland,  under  the  leadership  of  John  Knox, 
the  typical  Calvinist  and  the  founder  of  Presbyterianism  in 
the  more  restricted  sense,  it  had  overwhelmed  the  existing 
order  of  things,  it  had  succeeded  in  linking  itself  to  the 
clan  spirit  of  the  country,  it  had  fused  absolutely  hetero- 
geneous elements  into  a  deeper  and  spiritual  homogeneity, 
and  it  had  regenerated  the  people,  as  it  had  done  in  Holland. 
The  indomitable  spirit  of  John  Knox  kept  marching  at  the 
head  of  the  clans,  as  it  does  today,  although  his  dust  has 
ages  ago  mingled  with  its  kindred  dust.  Calvinism  spoke 
in  the  riot  in  St.  Giles  against  the  usurpation  of  an  oppress- 
ing ritualism ;  it  spoke  in  the  Melvillian  movement,  which 
saved  Scotch  Presbyterianism  from  itself;  it  spoke  in  the 
bitter  persecutions  under  Claverhouse,  a  name  thrice  cursed 
in  the  annals  of  Scotland ;  it  signed  the  solemn  league  and 
covenant  as  it  bound  the  souls  of  those  "dour"  Presbyte- 
rians together  with  bonds  stronger  than  iron  and  steel.  It 
made  the  sturdy,  independent  Scotchmen  what  they  have 
been  ever  since,  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

Calvinism  spoke  in  the  days  of  the  English  Common- 
wealth as  it  raised  the  English  people  from  a  king-ridden 
and  nobility-enslaved  nation  to  one  of  the  purest  types  of 
democracy  in  the  world.  In  the  Westminster  Assembly  of 
164 1  it  gave  voice  to  the  most  sharply  defined  Calvinistic 
confession  of  faith  ever  written  by  man.  And  it  is  from 
those  days  of  the  Commonwealth,  so  generally  slighted  by 
English  historians,   that  the   steadily  growing  ascendency 

-175- 


dates  of  the  Commons  over  the  king  and  the  House  of 
Lords,  which  in  our  day  has  culminated  in  a  supreme  vic- 
tory. 

And  that  in  a  state  where  the  church  in  her  thirty-nine 
articles  had  only  in  part  accepted  the  Calvinistic  theology, 
where  in  this  half-hearted  way,  in  a  place  all  its  own,  it 
maintained  itself  as  the  religion  of  the  land,  and  where  its 
every  step  was  marked  with  aristocratic  aspirations  and 
anti-Calvinistic  social  ideals.  What,  then,  is  the  solution 
of  this  secret?  This,  that  not  Anglicanism  but  Independent- 
ism  had  imprinted  itself  on  the  political  life  and  conscious- 
ness of  the  nation. 

And  did  the  course  of  history  run  different  in  the  New 
World,  the  land  of  hope,  our  own  marvelous  Common- 
wealth, where  the  long  dream  of  the  world's  democracy 
was  finally  realized  and  that  on  a  gigantic  scale? 

What  did  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  bring  to  these  shores  but 
purest  Calvinism?  What  else  did  the  Dutch  and  Walloons 
bring  to  New  Amsterdam,  now  New  York?  What  was 
the  character  of  the  people  who  settled  on  the  James  River ; 
who  were  their  preachers?  Anglicans  though  they  were, 
does  not  history  tell  us  that  practically  all  their  leaders  were 
Puritans  in  spirit?  What  was  the  endless  stream  which, 
in  the  eighteenth  and  in  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  uninterruptedly  flowed  from  Great  Britain  to  these 
shores?  Who  settled  the  mountain  slopes  and  valleys  of 
Virginia  and  the  Carolinas,  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  but 
sturdy  Scotch-Iri;sh  Presbyterians,  who  laid  the  strong 
foundation  stones  of  the  republic,  so  strong  that  the  whelm- 
ing flood  of  the  later  immigration  from  central  and  southern 
Europe  was  unable  to  overturn  them  or  to  change  the  na- 
tional character  thus  established?  What  we  are  politically 
and  nationally  we  owe  to  the  man  of  Geneva,  whom  his 
own  fellowtownsmen  used  to  call  "ce  Francois,"  or  "cette 
homme."     Bancroft,  our  great  historian,  was  a  Unitarian 

-176- 


John    Hill    Eakix, 

Deacon    1873-1904.      Treasurer    of    the    Church.      Founder   of   the    Eakin    Fund. 


and  therefore  not  given  to  fulsome  praise  of  Calvinism. 
But  as  a  historian  he  is  faithful  to  the  truth  and  this  is 
what  he  has  to  say  of  it:  "Calvinism  was  revolutionary, 
wherever  it  came  it  created  division ;  its  symbol,  as  set  upon 
the  'Institutes'  of  its  teacher,  was  a  flaming  sword.  By  the 
side  of  the  eternal  mountains  and  the  perennial  snows  and 
the  arrowy  rivers  of  Switzerland  it  established  a  religion 
without  a  prelate  and  a  government  without  a  king.  Forti- 
fied by  its  faith  in  fixed  decrees,  it  kept  possession  of  its 
homes  among  the  Alps."  Then  he  tells  us  of  its  onward 
sweep  through  the  lands  of  Western  Europe  and  Scotland, 
and  continues  thus:  "It  infused  itself  into  England  and 
placed  its  plebeian  sympathies  in  daring  resistance  to  the 
courtly  hierarchy,  dissenting  from  dissent,  longing  to  intro- 
duce the  reign  of  righteousness.  It  invited  every  man  to 
read  the  Bible  and  made  itself  dear  to  the  common  mind 
by  teaching,  as  a  divine  revelation,  the  unity  of  the  race 
and  the  natural  equality  of  men.  It  claimed  for  itself  free- 
dom of  utterance,  and  through  the  pulpit,  in  an  eloquence 
imbued  with  the  authoritative  words  of  prophets  and  apos- 
tles, spoke  to  the  whole  congregation.  It  sought  new  truth, 
denying  the  sanctity  of  the  continuity  of  tradition.  It 
stood  up  against  the  middle  ages  and  their  forms  in  church 
and  state,  hating  them  with  a  fierce  and  unquenchable 
hatred." 

Bancroft  was  right,  in  part,  but  the  subject  having 
gripped  him,  he  devoted  a  separate  essay  to  Calvin,  and 
in  it  he  uses  this  language:  *'It  is  intolerance  only  which 
would  limit  the  praise  of  Calvinism  to  a  single  sect  or  re- 
fuse to  reverence  his  virtues  and  regret  his  failings.  .  .  . 
We  may,  as  republicans,  remember  that  Calvin  was  not 
only  the  founder  of  a  sect,  but  foremost  among  the  most 
efficient  of  modern  republican  legislators,  more  truly  be- 
nevolent to  the  human  race  than  Solon,  more  self-denying 
than   Lycurgus.     The  genius  of  Calvin  infused   enduring 

-177- 

12 


elements  into  the  institutions  of  Geneva  and  made  it  for  the 
modern  world  the  impregnable  fortress  of  popular  liberty, 
the  fertile  seed  plot  of  democracy.  He  that  will  not  honor 
the  memory  and  respect  the  influence  of  Calvin  knows  but 
little  of  the  origin  of  American  liberty." 

And  who  will  doubt  it,  who  has  the  faintest  acquaintance 
with  American  history,  that  in  the  new  world  Calvinism, 
as  a  political  dynamic,  exerted  its  greatest  force  till  now 
in  the  history  of  the  world  ? 

As  we  have  seen,  the  pioneers  of  the  new  Commonwealth 
were  practically  all  Calvinists  or  at  least  Calvinistic. 

But  let  me  take  some  concrete  examples  from  our  his- 
toric records. 

The  "Mecklenburg  Declaration"  foreshadowed  the  Dec- 
laration of  Independence.  It  was  adopted  in  a  popular  con- 
vention on  May  20,  1775.  Three  months  later  this  instru- 
ment lay  on  the  table  of  the  Continental  Congress  and  it 
was  signed  by  men  who  were  largely  Scotch  Presbyte- 
rians. Who  was  its  author?  It  was  drawn  up  by  a  Pres- 
byterian minister,  one  Ephraim  Brevard,  at  Charlotte,  N.  C. 

Jefferson  himself  declared  that  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence a  year  later  was  inspired  by  the  memorials  of 
HIanover  Presbytery. 

And  when  this  instrument,  drawn  up  by  the  committee 
ad  hoc,  finally  lay  on  tTie  table  of  Congress,  and  when  every 
one  of  the  leaders  hesitated  to  be  the  first  to  sign  his  name 
to  the  document,  since  the  act  might  well  prove  a  death 
warrant,  it  was  a  Presbyterian  minister  who  broke  the  spell 
and  steeled  the  courage  of  all  by  approaching  the  table  and 
setting  his  name  on  that  fatal  and  epoch-making  paper. 
The  name  spelled  John  Witherspoon.  And  to  whom  did 
Washington  point  in  his  extremity,  in  the  dead  of  that 
dreadful  winter  spent  at  Valley  Forge,  as  his  last  hope, 
when  gloom  filled  every  heart  and  all  seemed  lost,  but  to 
the  stern  Calvinists  of  his  home  county,  when  in  answer 

-178- 


to  the  question  whether  surrender  were  not  the  better  part 
of  valor,  he  replied,  "I  will  fight  and  retreat  and  retreat 
and  fight  till  I  get  back  among  the  Presbyterians  of  old 
Augusta  County;  when  they  stack  their  muskets  I  will  re- 
turn my  sword  to  its  scabbard." 

Our  entire  Constitution  is  fashioned  after  the  model 
of  the  "Union  of  Utrecht,"  of  1579,  the  first  republican  con- 
stituition  ever  drafted  in  this  world,  and  as  Douglass  Camp- 
bell has  abundantly  proved,  it  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
drafters  of  our  own.  And  it  gave  birth  to  the  Dutch  re- 
public, the  very  incarnation  of  political  Calvinism. 

Our  entire  social  fabric  is  shot  through  and  through 
with  the  spirit  and  principles  of  Calvinism.  Here,  as  no- 
where else,  in  this  wide  world,  the  rights  of  the  individual 
are  guaranteed,  and  here,  as  nowhere  else,  we  find  the  reflex 
of  the  principles  of  Calvin  in  our  National  and  State  Consti- 
tutions. God  is  recognized  as  the  "divine  ruler,"  the  "divine 
protector,"  and  the  "supreme  judge"  in  these  instruments. 
In  the  "Articles  of  Confederation"  He  is  called  "the  Great 
Governor  of  the  world."  Always  and  everywhere  a  recog- 
nition of  the  rights  of  God  in  the  government  of  this  world 
leads  to  a  recognition  of  the  inalienable  rights  of  the  indi- 
vidual. The  final  application,  therefore,  on  an  ever-growing 
scale,  is  of  the  principles  of  the  man  of  Geneva.  Consti- 
tutional government  flourishes  only  on  this  soil.  Wherever 
Calvinism  either  directly  or  indirectly  asserts  itself,  a  hap- 
pier and  brighter  day  has  dawned  for  oppressed  humanity, 
for  tyranny  and  Calvinism  are  logical  and  historical  an- 
titheses. 

He  knows  little  of  Calvinism  who  has  not  studied  it  in 
its  wider  and  deeper  aspects,  or  followed  its  trail  through 
the  mazes  of  history.  But  whoever  does  so  will  feel  the 
thrill  of  endless  vistas.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  recog- 
nition of  the  sovereignty  of  God  leads  to  the  largest  possible 
view  of  the  sovereignty  of  man,  who,  conscious  of  an  im- 

-179- 


mediate  contact  with  God,  feels  the  reflected  glory  of  that 
presence  in  his  own  heart  and  in  his  own  life,  and  stands 
without  blanching  before  the  face  of  man,  whoever  he 
may  be. 

Calvinism  has  not  yet  run  its  course.  In  ever-widening 
circles  its  power  will  be  felt  as  the  world's  history  unfolds 
itself,  because,  based  on  immutable  principles,  it  forms  a  dis- 
tinct view  of  life,  of  the  world  and  of  God.  Wait  and  see 
whether  on  the  ruins  of  the  now  tottering  powers  of  Europe, 
God,  through  these  principles,  will  not  build  a  new  and 
greater  continent. 


-180— 


CHAPTER  IX. 


GREETINGS  FROM  OTHER  PRESBYTERIAN 
CHURCHES. 

From  the  Second  Church. 
By  Rev.  A.  S.  Allen. 

Honored  pastor  and  beloved  members  of  the  First  Pres- 
byterian Church,  I  count  myself  happy  in  being  privileged 
this  evening  in  bringing  you  the  greetings  of  your  first- 
born child,  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  of  this  city. 
She  was  seventy-one  years  old  yesterday,  and  therefore  you 
became  her  mother  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine  years. 

We  bring  you  greetings  of  good  will,  love  and  admira- 
tion. We  extend  you  the  joyous  hand  of  loving  fellowship. 
We  love  you  because  you  are  our  mother.  We  love  you 
for  what  you  have  so  unselfishly  done  for  us  down  through 
the  years  past.  We  love  you  for  what  you  are  today  to  us 
in  good  will  and  sympathy.  We  honor  you  because  of 
your  splendid  minister.  Of  all  the  men  whose  pathways 
have  crossed  my  own  in  life  few  stand  so  high  as  he  in  my 
own  estimation,  and  no  one  stands  higher.  I  honor  him 
because  his  views  are  so  kindred  to  my  own  way  of  think- 
ing. True  this  might  be  said  of  a  fool,  but  surely  no  one 
would  so  class  himself. 

We  honor  you  because  of  your  splendid  official  boards 
and  your  level-headed  and  non-arrogant  membership.  It 
has  been  my  happy  privilege  on  several  occasions  to  supply 
this  pulpit,  and  I  always  found  kindness  and  cordiality  ex- 
tended me. 

-181- 


We  sincerely  trust  that  the  strength,  beauty  and  activity 
of  youth  may  ever  abide  with  you.  May  your  hair  never 
grow  gray,  your  eyes  dim  nor  your  step  tottering. 

May  your  digestive  power  for  a  hearty  meal  of  gospel 
truth  ever  remain  perfect,  so  that  you  may  be  immune  to  all 
dangers  arising  from  poor  assimilation.  May  you  never  be 
afraid  of  that  which  is  high,  nor  your  desires  fail,  nor  the 
grasshopper  to  you  be  a  burden.  May  old  Father  Time 
deal  gently  with  you,  never  putting  a  stoop  in  your  shoulders 
nor  chiseling  a  gloom  in  your  fair  face.  And  finally,  as  the 
evening  shadows  lengthen,  and  the  twilight  fades,  may  you 
hear,  ere  the  silver  cord  be  loosed,  the  Master  say,  "Well 
done,  thou  good  and  faithful  church,  since  you  have  so 
nobly  done  your  part  in  my  vineyard  on  earth,  enter  ye  into 
my  glorified  church  above." 


From  the  Woodland  Street  Church. 
By  Rev.  W.  L.  Caldwell,  D.D. 

It  is  rather  an  unusual  thing  for  a  lady  to  invite  guests 
to  her  birthday  party  and  then  call  on  them  to  say  nice 
things  about  her,  and  to  her  face.  But  as  you  are  a  century 
old,  I  guess  we  are  to  allow  you  certain  liberties,  and 
especially  with  those  so  near  and  dear  to  you  as  we  are, 
most  of  us  your  own  children.  In  the  Orient  it  is  quite  the 
fad  to  get  old.  There  they,  speak  of  the  accumulated  years 
with  pride.  As  a  rule  our  ladies  are  not  overfond  of  tell- 
ing their  ages,  but  you  seem  to  have  caught  the  Eastern 
fad,  you  are  not  only  not  ashamed  to  tell  your  age,  you 
are  actually  glorying  in  it!  And  well  you  may,  for  it  is 
honorable.  Your  hoary  head  is  a  crown  of  glory;  it  is 
found  in  the  way  of  righteousness.  You  have  grown  old 
gracefully,  a  thing  not  easy  for  some  of  us  to  do.  For, 
like  youth,  old  age  has  its  perils  and  temptations.  Some 
whose  lives  were  prophetic  of  a  beautiful  old  age  have 

—182— 


disappointed  us.  They  have  lost  the  sweetness  and  gentle- 
ness of  former  days.  The  aggravations  of  the  world,  its 
cares  and  perplexities,  have  dulled  the  splendor  of  life  as  it 
moves  toward  the  setting  sun.  If  life  has  been  full  of  dis- 
appointments, it  is  easy  to  become  crabbed  and  sour.  Or  if 
it  has  been  full  of  successes  and  achievements,  there  is  dan- 
ger of  vanity  and  self-consciousness.  Then  old  age  will 
become  garrulous,  full  of  self  and  past  attainments.  But 
you  have  steered  clear  of  both  these  rocks.  You  are  to- 
day a  hundred  years  young !  And  you  carry  your  age  well. 
You  have  not  settled  upon  your  lees,  you  have  kept  abreast 
the  times,  and  so  kept  your  heart  young.  You  have  not  been 
satisfied  with  past  achievements,  your  attitude  has  been  that 
of  reaching  forth  to  the  things  that  are  before.  Your 
prayer  has  been: 

"O'  for  man  to  arise  in  me, 

That  the  man  that  I  am  may  cease  to  be." 
(Ladies  said  "woman.") 

There  is  a  tradition  that  the  eagle  dies  when  he  reaches 
the  century  mark.  At  the  end  of  ten  years  he  soars  into 
the  sun,  and  his  pinions  are  scorched  and  he  falls  into  the 
sea,  where  they  are  renewed  and  he  comes  out  with  the 
dew  of  his  youth.  This  he  does  for  ten  decades,  when  he 
falls  to  rise  no  more.  It  may  be  to  this  that  the  Psalmist 
refers  when  he  says,  "Thy  youth  is  renewed  like  the  eagle's." 
I  am  thinking  that  you  will  go  the  eagle  one  better.  With- 
out these  periodical  slumps  into  the  sea  you  have  soared  con- 
tinually upward,  and  today  you  are  younger  and  stronger 
than  ever.  You  have  renewed  your  strength  by  waiting 
on  the  Lord,  and  so  can  mount  up  on  wings  as  eagles,  or 
run  and  not  be  weary,  or  walk  and  not  faint.  You  seem  to 
say  to  us : 

"Grow  old  along  with  me. 
The  best  is  yet  to  be." 

-183- 


I  am  a  litle  bit  wary  about  claiming  kin  with  people, 
but  as  your  character  is  well  established,  I  am  tempted  to 
claim  kin  with  you  tonight.  It  is  this  way.  On  the  fair 
page  of  your  history  among  the  pioneers  stands  the  name  of 
Thomas  B.  Craighead.  He  was  the  pioneer  preacher  of 
Presbyterianism  in  Middle  Tennessee.  He  was  also  an 
educator  and,  together  with  Andrew  Jackson,  laid  the  foun- 
dation upon  which  rests  the  great  educational  system  of 
our  city.  Out  of  his  work  grew  Cumberland  College  and 
the  University  of  Nashville.  His  ashes  rest  near  the  Her- 
mitage, not  far  from  those  of  the  great  "Old  Hickory," 
whom  he  loved  and  trusted.  Now,  he  was  the  son  of  the 
famous  Alexander  Craighead,  author  of  the  first  Declara- 
tion of  Independence.  Rachel,  Thomas'  sister,  became  the 
wife  of  David  Caldwell,  and  my  father's  grandmother. 
Now,  if  this  doesn't  make  me  kin  to  you  it  certainly  ought 
to  make  me  a  Daughter  of  the  American  Revolution !  But 
if  this  claim  does  not  appeal  to  you,  I  come  in  a  closer  rela- 
tionship, as  pastor  of  the  Woodland  Street  Church,  your 
own  daughter,  who  loves  you  for  your  splendid  history,  and, 
together  with  your  other  children,  rises  up  to  call  you 
blessed. 


From  the  Moore  Memorial  Church. 
By  Rev.  L.  E.  McNair,  D.D. 

The  greetings  I  bear  upon  this  happy  occasion  to  the 
pastor  and  members  of  this  church  are  more  than  words  of 
congratulation. 

During  the  week  now  closing  many  have  been  reading 
the  account  of  this  very  unusual  celebration  and,  as  they 
have  read,  have  greatly  admired  the  accomplishments  of  the 
one  hundred  years  of  splendid  history  about  which  so  much 
has  been  said.  The  wide  influence  of  this  old  church  upon 
the  life  of  this  community  has  produced  a  profound  impres- 

-184- 


Byrd  Douglas, 

Deacon    1873-1899.      Elder    1899-1911. 


sion  upon  all  who  are  familiar  with  this  glorious  record. 
There  are  many  others  whose  expressions  have  been  more 
than  words  of  mere  admiration.  They  have  been  praising 
God  for  the  years  of  faithful  service  in  His  Kingdom. 

But  I  come  tonight  to  speak  for  a  congregation  bound 
to  this  church  in  ties  of  very  intimate  relationship.  This  is 
a  relationship  which  leads  me  to  speak  in  words  of  grati- 
tude, tenderness  and  love.  I  represent  a  church  which  is 
more  than  a  sister  church.  We  are  the  child  of  a  great 
and  glorious  mother. 

The  mother  was  born,  as  you  know,  in  the  month  of 
November,  one  hundred  years  ago.  You  have  just  been  told 
that  her  first  child  was  born  in  the  month  of  November, 
seventy-one  years  ago.  The  Moore  Memorial  Church, 
another  child,  was  also  born  in  the  month  of  November, 
forty-one  years  ago. 

I  have  noticed  that  all  good  things  have  come  into  exist- 
ence in  the  month  of  November.  /  was  born  in  the  month 
of  November. 

The  child  I  represent  reaches  her  forty-first  birthday 
this  month,  and  though  mature  in  her  own  strength  and 
well  established  in  her  own  work,  she  yet  reverently 
acknowledges  the  debt  of  gratitude  and  love  she  owes  the 
mother,  out  of  whose  life  she  sprang  and  whose  faithful 
labors  in  the  years  that  have  passed  have  largely  made  pos- 
sible the  maturity  to  which  the  child  has  come. 

And  now  we  are  rejoicing  over  the  splendid  age  of  the 
mother  church. 

To  this  age  you  have  come,  not  in  a  lifeless  spirit,  not 
in  infirmity,  limping  up  to  be  pitied,  as  one  whose  life  has 
been  spent ;  not  to  years  of  restful  inactivity.  This,  for 
you,  is  a  period  when,  rising  from  the  precious  memory  of 
the  great  years  that  are  over,  the  church  now  girds  herself 
with  more  youthful  vigor  for  the  years  that  are  to  come. 

Glorious  as  has  been  the  past,  I  cannot  believe  it  has 
been  the  better  time  of  this  church. 

-185- 


In  the  mythologies  of  most  people  and  religions  there 
exists  the  tradition  of  an  age  called  "Golden."  The  Greeks 
and  Romans  placed  this  age  under  the  rule  of  Saturn,  and 
some  of  the  poets,  as,  for  example,  Virgil,  in  the  first  books 
of  the  Georgics,  have  turned  their  poetic  material  into 
splendid  account  as  they  hold  out  the  hope  that  the  pristine 
state  of  things  will  one  day  return.  In  our  own  time  there 
are  those  who  look  forward  anticipating  in  the  future  the 
promised  goal.  For  this  church  the  present  time  is 
"golden." 

The  conditions  surrounding  this  church  are  more  favor- 
able than  ever  before.  This  church  is  grander  than  ever. 
Under  the  superb  leadership  of  your  present  great  and 
beloved  pastor  you  are  now  rendering  the  most  efficient 
service  your  church  has  ever  achieved. 

I  take  this  opportunity  to  say,  while  we  honor  the  great 
men  who  have  served  in  this  historic  church,  we  recognize 
no  superior  to  your  present  much-beloved  pastor,  Dr.  Vance. 
My  association  with  him  in  the  work  we  share  in  this  com- 
munity warrants  me  in  speaking  very  feelingly  of  him  and 
of  his  great  service.  I  regret  the  occasion  is  such  I  cannot 
say  more  about  him. 

But  now,  O  church  of  God,  you  are  yet  at  the  beginning 
of  an  endless  destiny.  The  counting  of  the  milestones  you 
have  passed  urges  you  to  look  forward  and  to  press  on.  Be- 
fore you  is  the  untraversed  plain  and  beyond  it  are  the 
everlasting  hills.  Unto  these  hills  lift  up  your  eyes  for 
strength. 

I  now  assure  you  of  our  respect,  honor  and  love.  Very 
tender  ties  bind  us  together  in  our  work  for  our  Lord. 
May  He  strengthen  these  ties  and  keep  us  faithful  together 
for  our  great  work. 

I  am  sure  I  have  more  than  consumed  the  five  minutes' 
time  given  me.  I  am  reminded  of  the  story  they  tell  on  one 
of  our  local,  well-known  "after  dinner  speakers."     On  a 

-186— 


certain  occasion  he  was  on  the  program  with  several  other 
speakers  and  was  informed  he  could  speak  for  only  ten 
minutes.  After  speaking  for  thirty  minutes,  he  turned  to 
the  toastmaster  and  said,  "Mr.  Toastmaster,  I  do  not  know 
how  much  of  my  ten  minutes  remains,  but  I  gladly  yield 
the  remaining  portion  to  the  speaker  who  is  to  follow  me." 
So  I  gladly  yield  my  remaining  time  to  my  friend  who  is 
to  follow  me. 


From  the  Cottage  Church. 
By  Rev.  W.  S.  Barr. 

Dr.  Vance,  Officers  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
Friends: 

It  is  one  of  the  highest  honors  and  also  one  of  the  great- 
est pleasures  for  one  of  the  daughters  to  bring  greetings 
to  the  mother  who  is  celebrating  her  one  hundredth  birth- 
day. 

A  little  historical  sketch  prepared  by  Rev.  Harris  E. 
Kirk,  D.D.,  while  pastor  of  Cottage  Church,  would  be  of 
interest  at  this  time: 

"The  Cottage  Church  Bible  School  was  organized  June 
22,  1850,  in  St.  Cloud  Grove,  comer  of  Ewing  Avenue  and 
Bass  Street,  by  Messrs.  W.  G.  Hunter,  James  Gould,  A.  W. 
Putnam,  H.  H.  McAllister,  Alfred  Hume  and  others  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church.  The  first  building  was  erected 
on  the  northeast  corner  of  Bass  Street  and  Stevenson  Ave- 
nue. Alfred  H|ume  was  the  first  Superintendent  and  was 
succeeded,  respectively,  by  A.  W.  Putnam  and  H.  H.  Mc- 
Allister. The  building  was  taken  by  the  United  States 
Army  in  1862  and  the  school  discontinued. 

"In  1865  the  school  was  reorganized  by  H.  H.  McAllis- 
ter, who  again  became  its  Superintendent.  Bradford  Nichol 
succeeded  him  in  1879  and  served  until  1883,  when  Mr. 
McAllister  again  took  charge.    Messrs.  Baxter  Smith,  S.  O, 

-187- 


Merrill,  W.  S.  Hill  and  Bradford  Nichol  served  consecu- 
tively up  to  1896. 

"The  present  building,  located  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  Bass  Street  and  Stevenson  Avenue,  was  erected  in  1881, 
chiefly  through  the  efforts  of  Messrs.  H.  H.  McAllister, 
Bradford  Nichol  and  Byrd  Douglas.  Mrs.  Ann  Pope  con- 
tributed $1,000  to  the  building  fund,  and  at  her  death  gave 
the  church  enough  money  to  build  the  manse." 

The  Cottage  Presbyterian  Qiurch  was  a  mission  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church  from  June  22,  1850,  to  May  3, 
1 89 1,  on  which  date  its  organization  was  effected. 

May  God  bless  the  mother  who  has  done  so  much  for 
the  daughter,  and  may  the  daughter  grow  more  like  the 
mother. 


From  the  A.  G.  Adams  Church. 
By  Rev.  T.  H.  Harrison. 

Dr.   Vance,  Officers  and  Members  of  the  First  Presbyte- 
rian Church: 

What  I  shall  say  tonight  will  be  extemporaneous. 
Words  fail  me  and  are  inadequate  to  express  my  profound 
gratitude  to  you  on  my  behalf  as  well  as  on  behalf  of 
the  people  of  the  A.  G.  Adams  Church,  whom  I  represent, 
for  the  gifts  that  you  are  constantly  bestowing  upon  us.  Of 
course  the  ministers  representing  the  other  Presbyterian 
churches  of  the  city  who  liave  spoken  before  me  have 
graduated.  You  have  not  got  to  care  for  them  now. 
The  congregations  they  represent  have  become  able  to  take 
care  of  themselves,  but  I  and  my  congregation  you  still  have 
on  your  hands.  We  are  still  in  your  care,  but  we  are  hop- 
ing and  praying  that  the  day  will  soon  come  when  we  can 
care  for  ourselves.  Nevertheless,  we  appreciate  your  care 
of  us,  for  you  are  taking  good  care  of  us.  We  are  your 
baby,  still  crying  for  help,  and  with  much  appreciation  we 

-188- 


are  glad  to  say  that  you  are  constantly  supplying  our  needs. 
Dr.  Vance,  these  boys  who  have  just  spoken  ahead  of 
me  have  referred  to  the  church  as  "she,"  and  they  have  well 
said  this  church  is  the  mother  church  of  all  the  Presbyterian 
churches  of  Nashville.  I  was  just  wondering,  while  they 
were  speaking,  why  they  did  not  refer  to  you  as  "Father." 
I  think  it  would  have  been  very  appropriate  for  them  to 
have  addressed  you  as  such.  As  for  myself,  I  like  to  think 
of  you  in  this  way,  because  you  are  a  father  to  me  and  the 
people  of  the  A.  G.  Adams  Church,  whom  I  represent. 
Yet  in  my  referring  to  you  as  father  I  do  not  mean  to 
reflect  upon  your  age.  Now,  while  these  boys  were  speak- 
ing, my  mind  went  back  into  the  past,  and  I  began  to  think 
of  the  origin  of  this  church.  We  are  told  that  through  the 
faith  of  six  women  and  one  man,  God  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  this  institution  one  hundred;  years  ago.  I  think  that 
this  should  be  a  great  week  to  the  citizenship  of  Nashville 
from  the  very  fact  that  they  have  within  it  a  church  that  is 
one  hundred  years  old.  No  doubt  since  the  beginning  of 
this  church  here  in  Nashville  there  have  been  other  insti- 
tutions brought  forward ;  no  doubt  there  have  been  all  kinds 
of  commercial  enterprises  put  forward;  there  have  been 
banks  with  tremendous  capital ;  there  have  been  institutions 
of  learning  that  started  with  a  name,  but  by  the  death  of 
some  one  some  have  failed,  others  have  changed  their  names, 
in  the  short  period  of  one  hundred  years.  If  you  were  to  try 
to  find  some  of  the  many  things  that  have  taken  place  in  the 
way  of  institutions  being  brought  forward  in  the  past  one 
hundred  years  in  this  city  you  would  have  to  hunt  the 
records  of  the  city.  Some  you  would  find  have  passed  out 
and  are  no  more,  but  here  is  an  institution  that  had  its  be- 
ginning with  only  seven  in  the  company.  It  has  constantly 
grown.  Financial  failures  have  made  no  change  in  its 
growth.  While  many  manufacturers  have  "gone  broke,"  and 
institutions  of  learning  have  failed  and  banks  become  bank- 

-189— 


rupt,  here  is  an  institution  that  has  continued  to  increase  in 
numbers  and  in  wealth.  The  reason  for  this  is  plainly  ex- 
plained in  the  Bible.  It  is  because  your  wealth  is  in  heaven. 
You  belong  to  a  God  who  has  never  become  bankrupt  and 
there  is  no  chance  for  you  to  fail.  Your  institution  will 
never  go  broke,  neither  will  there  ever  be  a  time  but  what 
there  will  be  a  sufficient  number  in  the  organization  to  keep 
it  going,  for  it  has  at  the  head  of  the  institution  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  who  emptied  himself  of  the  wealth  of  heaven 
on  the  cross  of  Calvary  that  your  wants  might  be  filled  with 
an  abundance  of  His  matchless  gifts.  So  you  will  never  be  in 
poverty,  neither  will  there  ever  be  a  time  that  your  institu- 
tion will  fail,  for  your  wants  will  never  be  great  enough  to 
exhaust  the  source  of  God's  supply.  That  was  fixed  in 
the  gift  of  Christ. 

I  am  led  to  believe  that  the  part  that  these  six  women 
played  in  the  organization  of  this  church  is  one  worth  con- 
sidering. It  leads  me  to  believe  that  woman  has  some- 
thing to  do  today  in  the  shaping  of  the  lives  of  her  children, 
by  helping  to  hold  the  church  organization  together,  and 
being  a  part  of  the  institution.  Some  of  these  boys,  who 
spoke  ahead  of  me,  have  referred  to  the  church  as  "she," 
but  they  seem  to  feel  a  delicacy  in  speaking  of  her  age, 
saying  that  some  women  object  to  the  telling  of  their 
age.  I  have  never  really  insisted  on  anybody  telling  his 
age,  especially  on  a  woman  telling  hers.  Personally  I  ap- 
preciate my  own  age  and  am  thankful  to  know  that  the 
Lord  has  let  me  live  as  long  as  I  have,  and  I  say  with 
much  appreciation  that  I  am  almost  old  enough  to  have 
gray  hairs  in  my  head.  Some  one  mentioned  the  woman 
suffrage  question.  This  is  a  thing  that  I  do  not  agree 
with.  I  would  prefer  to  call  them  "Suffer-yets"  instead 
of  Suffragettes,  for  I  think  the  place  for  woman  is  in  the 
church,  for  in  it  she  will  be  more  competent  to  school  her 
children  in  the  things  that  they  need  to  know  about.  If  her 
time  is  spent  in  political  work  I  am  afraid  she  will  make  a 

—190— 


miserable  blunder  and  will  be  a  stumbling  stone  for  her 
children. 

Let  me  say,  in  conclusion,  that  I  represent  the  "baby" 
church  in  Nashville;  not  in  age,  neither  in  size,  but  accord- 
ing to  finances.  My  congregation  has  everything  except 
money.  I  am  sure  we  have  plenty  of  people,  both  adults 
and  children.  Our  people  are  of  the  working  class.  We 
have  no  money,  but  we  have  a  lot  of  faith.  We  believe  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  I  think  that  we  have  at  least 
enough  religion  to  save  us.  We  do  some  praying,  but  not 
enough,  yet  we  believe  that  the  day  will  soon  come  when 
the  Lord  will  provide  us  with  some  of  the  wealth  of  the 
earth.  There  is  no  reason  to  fear  that  you  will  fail  to  help 
us  as  long  as  we  are  helpless,  and  I  am  sure  there  is  no 
failure  for  you,  as  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  has  never  failed 
to  supply  the  wants  of  His  people. 

Again,  I  know  that  you  are  going  to  progress  as  a 
church,  for  progress  is  at  your  disposal.  Of  course  there 
will  be  funerals  and  a  long  list  of  names  will  be  kept  of  those 
that  once  were  here  but  now  gone,  yet  this  will  not  affect 
the  existence  of  your  institution,  for  the  Lord  is  on  your 
side.  You  can't  keep  from  advancing,  because  you  have 
"Vance" ;  so  the  prayers  of  myself,  as  well  as  the  prayers 
of  my  people,  are  and  ever  will  be  that  you  may  be  ready 
always  to  respond  to  the  call  of  your  Lord,  who  calls  you 
to  meet  Him  in  the  great  field  of  human  need,  that  of  spread- 
ing the  gospel  both  at  home  and  abroad. 

May  the  blessings  of  God,  Who  knows  no  failure,  and 
Whose  cause  has  never  been  defeated,  be  with  you  both  now 
and  evermore. 


From  Glen  Leven  Church. 
By  Rev.  W.  C.  Alexander,  D.D. 

The  brother  who  has  just  taken  his  seat  has  professed 
-191- 


to  be  embarrassed  by  having  to  follow  the  excellent  speaker 
who  preceded  him.  But  listening  to  his  own  polished  periods 
I  am  reminded  of  an  incident  related  by  that  loyal  Presbyte- 
rian, the  late  Governor  Daniel  G.  Fowle,  of  North  Caro- 
lina. He  said  that  when  a  student  at  Princeton,  quite  a 
controversy  arose  in  the  theological  seminary  as  to  whether 
a  minister  should  speak  with  or  without  his  manuscript.  One 
of  the  professors  was  a  strong  advocate  for  written  dis- 
course. A  young  student  who  differed  with  him  upon  this 
subject  ventured  on  a  public  occasion  to  deliver  an  address 
upon  the  advantages  of  the  extempore  method.  When  the 
meeting  had  adjourned  his  friends  gathered  about  him  to 
congratulate  him  upon  the  success  of  his  speech.  "Yes," 
he  said,  "but  unfortunately  I  forgot  to  mention  one  of  my 
strongest  points."  The  old  professor,  who  was  also  standing 
near,  snapped  out,  "Yes,  and  if  you  had  written  it  down  you 
wouldn't  have  forgotten  it."  Now,  it  does  not  occur  to  me 
that  our  meeting  this  evening  calls  for  formal  and  finished 
addresses.  This  is  our  Presbyterian  family  gathering,  when 
we  have  come  to  do  honor  to  the  mother  of  us  all.  The 
formal  services  in  the  auditorium  called  for  those  splendid 
papers  to  which  we  have  listened  with  so  much  interest  and 
admiration,  but  in  this  social  assemblage  it  would  seem  that 
our  felicitations  may  best  be  expressed  in  words  as  simple 
as  they  are  sincere. 

On  her  one  hundredth  anniversary  we  are  here  to  do 
honor  to  the  old  First  Church.  We  are  all  proud  of  her. 
We  are  proud  of  her  noble  service  to  God,  to  this  city  and  to 
this  Commonwealth.  We  are  proud  of  her  prosperity  as  the 
largest  church  in  our  Assembly.  We  are  proud  of  her  loy- 
alty to  the  everlasting  gospel.  We  are  proud  of  the  galaxy 
of  noble  men  who  have  been  the  pastors  of  this  church,  and 
we  are  also  proud  of  the  people  who  listened  to  them.  When 
Mr.  Beard,  in  his  delightful  history,  related  the  story  of  how 
Dr.  Gideon  Blackburn,  practicing  the  perseverance  of  the 

-192— 


Rev.  Jkre  Witherspoox,  D.D., 

Pastor    1 884- 1 893. 


saints,  preached  so  eloquently  for  three  hours,  that  Felix 
Grundy  said  in  his  enthusiastic  admiration  that  he  could 
have  listened  without  weariness  for  three  hours  longer,  some 
of  us  were  impressed  with  the  reflection  that  surely  they 
had  great  listeners  in  those  heroic  days.  Now,  it  is  to  be 
feared  that  good  listeners  do  not  always  receive  their  proper 
meed  of  praise.  We  are  reminded  of  an  incident  related  of 
Gen.  Ellison  Capers,  the  late  Episcopal  Bishop  of  South 
Carolina.  Having  preached  in  a  Carolina  town  on  a  certain 
Sabbath  he  went  to  be  the  guest  of  one  of  those  noble 
women  whose  homes  are  always  open  to  receive  the  servant 
of  God.  Throwing  himself  into  an  easy  chair,  ready  to 
receive  him,  he  remarked  to  his  hostess,  "Miss  Maria,  you 
don't  know  what  hard  work  preaching  is!"  Ajid  she  is 
said  to  have  replied,  sadly,  ''Ah,  Bishop,  you  surely  have 
never  tried  hstening!"  So  we  are  proud  not  only  of  the 
preachers,  but  also  of  the  listeners  of  the  old  First  Church, 
and  your  patience  on  this  occasion  is  a  cheering  proof  that 
you  are  not  unworthy  of  the  fathers  who  have  already  in- 
herited the  promises. 

I  bring  to  you  the  cordial  greetings  of  the  Glen  Leven 
Church.  While  not  indebted  directly  to  you  for  an  organi- 
zation, we  are  grateful  to  you  for  some  of  our  valued  char- 
ter members,  and  we  cherish  for  you  the  warmest  regard. 
We  rejoice  in  your  strength  and  prosperity  as  you  enter 
upon  the  second  hundred  years  of  your  history.  It  is  a 
desirable  thing  for  a  denomination  to  have  a  strong  central 
church,  for  that  church  may  and  ought  to  be  a  potent  factor 
in  the  extension  of  the  cause  of  which  it  is  a  representative. 
Long  before  this  church  shall  celebrate  her  second  centen- 
nial all  of  us  who  are  here  will  have  passed  into  silence,  but 
the  cause  of  our  common  Presbyterianism  will  remain. 
Surely,  therefore,  all  of  us  should  live  for  the  cause  dear 
alike  to  the  hearts  of  us  all.  When  Dr.  Vance,  then  a  pas- 
tor in  New  Jersey,  addressed  the  great  Laymen's  Mission- 

-193- 

13 


ary  Conference  at  Birmingham,  Ala.,  some  years  ago,  he 
said,  "The  Southern  Presbyterian  Church  is  the  greatest 
church  in  the  world !"  We  congratulate  you  upon  having 
him  for  a  second  time  as  your  pastor  and  his  leadership  in- 
spires the  confidence  that  your  great  congregation  will  give 
itself  to  the  extension  of  our  work  in  this  city,  for  the 
church  which  shines  brightest  at  home  will  shine  farthest 
abroad.  When  your  second  centennial  shall  be  celebrated, 
may  that  occasion  find  you  still  strong  and  prosperous  and 
may  many  other  pastors  gather  here  and  say  with  pride, 
"Our  churches  are  the  children  of  the  old  First  Church." 


From  the  West  Nashville  Church. 
By  Rev.  G.  B.  Harris,  Jr. 

Dr.  Vance,  Officers  and  Members  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church : 

It  is  with  pleasure  that  I  bring  you  greetings  on  this 
occasion  from  the  West  Nashville  Church.  It  is  fitting  that 
in  the  arrangement  of  the  program  tonight  this  century- 
old  church  should  adhere  to  the  old-time  rule  of  seniority. 
And  so  the  representatives  of  the  various  churches  are  to  be 
heard  tonight  according  to  the  date  of  organization  of  their 
respective  congregations.  Under  the  operation  of  this  good 
old  rule  I  have  the  honor  to  represent  the  "baby"  of  the 
family — the  youngest  direct  ofifshoot  of  the  old  plant.  Ac- 
cordingly I  have  sought  to  remember  the  injunction,  "Little 
children  should  be  seen  and  not  heard,"  and  have  kept  a 
discreet  silence  and  a  listening  ear  while  my  seniors  have 
spoken.  I  am  conscious  that  I  must  be  upon  my  good  be- 
havior tonight  lest  I  convey  the  impression  that  the  "baby" 
has  been  spoiled  and  so  bring  down  upon  it  the  maternal 
wrath. 

It  is  now  nearly  fifteen  years  since  you  began  the  mis- 

-194- 


sion  work  which  has  become  the  West  Nashville  Presbyte- 
rian Church.  The  founders  of  that  work  and  their  suc- 
cessors have  labored  well,  and  the  church  comes  to  bring 
you  her  best  wishes,  after  a  most  successful  year's  work. 
In  fact,  this  youngest  child  hopes,  ere  she  reaches  "sweet 
sixteen,"  to  make  her  debut  in  a  new  party  gown — a  hand- 
some new  building,  which  will  be  a  credit  alike  to  that  con- 
gregation and  to  the  mother  church.  And  if  God's  bless- 
ing continues  to  rest  upon  us,  I  doubt  not  that  we  shall  be 
instrumental  in  building  up  yet  more  the  Kingdom  of  God 
in  our  part  of  this  growing  city. 

It  affords  me  pleasure  also  from  a  personal  standpoint 
to  bring  you  greeting.  I  have  been  getting  a  little  nearer 
the  First  Church  as  the  years  have  passed.  I  began  my  min- 
istry as  the  pastor  of  the  West  Side  Church,  a  daughter  of 
Moore  Memorial,  and  therefore  a  granddaughter  of  this 
church.  I  am  now  pastor  of  West  Nashville,  a  daughter  of 
the  old  First  Church.     So  we  are  getting  nearer  together. 

Then,  too,  I  am  reminded  of  the  fact  that  both  the  First 
Church  and  I  are  indebted  to  the  same  grand  old  man.  Rev. 
Gideon  Blackburn,  D.D. — the  church  for  her  organization 
and  I  for  the  name  I  bear.  You  will  pardon  the  brief  nar- 
ration of  an  event  in  the  life  of  that  pioneer  preacher  and 
founder  of  this  church,  as  my  father  gave  it  to  me.  In  the 
year  1811,  when  war  with  England  was  imminent,  Rev.  Dr. 
Blackburn  preached  a  sermon  to  the  command  of  General 
Andrew  Jackson  at  what  is  now  the  foot  of  Broad  Street, 
on  the  banks  of  the  Cumberland  River.  In  that  company  of 
soldiers  was  my  paternal  grandfather,  Oliver  B.  Harris.  He 
said  he  never  heard  a  more  eloquent  sermon.  General  Jack- 
son was  moved  to  tears.  The  fervor  and  spiritual  power 
of  the  consecrated  and  gifted  speaker,  the  earnest  and  heart- 
stirring  appeal  of  the  gospel  he  preached  made  a  profound 
and  indelible  impression  upon  my  grandfather,  whose  re- 
ligious experience  might  be  said  to  date  from  that  hour. 

-195— 


Many  years  later,  when  my  father  was  born  in  1829,  he  was 
named  Gideon  Blackburn  Harris,  and  on  my  birth  in  1885, 
being  his  only  son,  I  received  his  name.  So,  for  my  name 
I  am  under  obligation  to  the  same  grand  old  preacher  who 
organized  this  church  and  sent  it  forth  upon  its  great 
work. 

So,  with  peculiar  pleasure  I  bring  you  birthday  greet- 
ings tonight,  both  on  behalf  of  myself  and  the  church  I 
represent,  and  my  prayer  is  that  you  may  continue  to  grow 
and  prosper ;  that  the  blessing  of  God  may  rest  yet  more 
abundantly  upon  you,  and  that  your  path  down  the  coming 
years)  may  be  as  the  "path  of  the  just,  which  is  as  the  shin- 
ing light  that  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day." 


GREETINGS  FROM  THE  SYNOD  OF  TENNESSEE. 
By  Moderator  G.  F.  Nicolassen. 

[The  Synod  of  Tennessee,  at  its  meeting  in  October, 
1914,  adopted  resolutions  of  congratulation  to  the  First 
Church  of  Nashville  upon  the  completion  of  one  hundred 
years  of  its  history.  These  resolutions  were  read  by  the 
Moderator  of  the  Synod,  who  then  proceeded  with  the  fol- 
lowingt  remarks :] 

In  fulfillment  of  the  pleasant  duty  which  has  been  en- 
trusted to  me,  I  desire  to  congratulate  this  church  upon  its 
centennial  celebration,  and  to  assure  you  of  the  deep  interest 
felt  by  the  Synod  in  your  welfare. 

One  hundred  years  of  life — what  does  that  signify?  For 
an  individual  it  generally  means  infirmity  and  approaching 
dissolution.  For  a  state  or  a  church  it  suggests  vigor  and 
power.  Physiologists  tell  us  that  in  the  course  of  seven 
years  every  particle  in  the  body  has  changed,  and  yet  the 
personality  is  not  lost.  In  the  period  of  a  hundred  years 
a  church  may  occupy  several  buildings,  will  necessarily  have 

-196- 


a  number  of  pastors,  and  the  personnel  of  its  membership 
will  be  entirely  changed.  And  yet  the  identity  of  the  church 
is  continuous.  During  all  these  years  the  First  Church  of 
Nashville  has  been  a  power  for  good  in  this  community. 

What  constitutes  a  successful  church?  Is  it  to  have  a 
brilliant  pastor,  many  officers,  a  large  number  of  members  ? 
These  are  all  elements  of  strength  if  properly  used.  But  the 
real  test  is :  Do  they  minister  to  the  needs  of  the  people  ? 
Are  the  men  and  women  made  better  by  them?  Are  the 
boys  and  girls  provided  with  entertainment  that  will  satisfy 
this  craving  of  their  natures?  And  when  I  say  entertain- 
ment I  do  not  mean  something  that  will  please  for  the  mo- 
ment, but  make  no  lasting  impression  upon  the  character. 

What  shall  be  the  record  of  the  next  hundred  years? 
None  of  us  will  be  here  to  see  it.  The  King  of  Persia  wept 
when  he  looked  out  over  his  vast  army  and  realized  that  a 
hundred  years  later  not  one  of  them  would  be  alive.  But 
he  was  a  heathen  and  knew  not  the  true  God.  We  are  bet- 
ter taught,  but  what  does  our  religion  mean  to  us  ?  Is  it  a 
garment  that  we  put  on  every  Sunday  morning,  or  is  it  a 
vital  principle  within  us  that  controls  our  thoughts  as  well 
as  our  acts  and  our  words?  Do  not  be  discouraged  if  the 
results  are  slow.  The  growth  of  character  is  gradual,  like 
the  development  of  the  oak.  They  tell  us  that  the  honored 
President  of  our  Republic  was  not  particularly  brilliant  as 
a  college  student,  and  gave  small  promise  of  the  greatness 
that  he  has  achieved.  But  see  the  strength  that  he  has 
developed !  A  man  who  was  able  to  keep  a  nation  out  of 
war  and  who  has  won  the  absolute  trust  of  ninety  millions 
of  men!  But  I  would  point  you  to  a  higher  model  than 
Woodrow  Wilson — one  who  shares  our  humanity  and  was 
"tempted  in  all  points  like  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin."  This 
is  the  goal  that  is  set  before  us,  and  to  this  we  shall  attain  if 
we  make  the  proper  use  of  what  He  has  given  us. 

-197- 


Resolutions, 
centennial  first  presbyterian  church,  nashville. 

Whereas,  On  November  14',  1814,  during  a  period  of 
national  strife  incident  to  the  war  of  1812,  there  was  or- 
ganized in  the  courthouse  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  that  city,  then  composed  of  eight 
members,  seven  of  whom  were  women ;  and 

Whereas,  This  church  has  been  blessed  of  God  through 
all  these  years  so  that  she  now  looks  back  upon  a  noble  his- 
tory— a  history  which  reveals  her  as  witnessing  to  the  truth 
of  her  Lord  by  a  broad  catholicity  of  spirit,  coupled  with 
earnest  devotion  to  Him ;  as  standing  at  once  as  a  fortress 
and  a  force ;  as  planting  her  missions  in  various  parts  of  the 
city  and  thus  becoming  the  mother  of  churches ;  as  sending, 
by  her  rich  gifts,  the  Gospel  of  Light  to  the  people  of  this 
and  other  lands ;  as  gladly  giving  her  capable  officers  for  the 
counsel's  and  labors  of  the  church,  both  at  home  and  abroad, 
and  as  blessing  by  the  rare  endowments  of  her  exceptional 
ministers,  not  only  the  city  and  the  Presbytery,  but  the 
Synod  and  the  Assembly  as  well ;  and 

Whereas,  This,  the  largest  church  of  our  Synod  and 
Assembly,  is  planning  to  celebrate  its  centennial  from  the 
8th  to  the  15th  of  November;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  i.  That  the  Synod  of  Tennessee  express  its 
gratitude  to  God  for  the  organization,  the  continued  exist- 
ence and  the  remarkable  development  of  this  church ;  for  her 
activity  and  achievements ;  for  her  peace  and  prosperity  and 
power. 

2.  That  we  extend  our  hearty  congratulations  to  the 
people  of  this  church  for  what  has  been  accomplished  dur- 
ing the  years  that  are  passed;  for  her  position  of  privilege 
and  responsibility ;  for  her  capable  body  of  officers  and  her 
richly  gifted  pastor. 

3.  That  we  invoke  the  blessing  of  God  upon  her  officers 

-198- 


and  members,  to  the  end  that,  appreciating  their  position  of 
leadership,  they  may,  by  their  ideals  and  aims,  by  their 
character  and  conduct,  measure  up  to  their  responsibilities, 
as  they  witness  to  the  truth  of  the  gospel  in  ever-widening 
circles  of  influence  until,  through  them,  the  spirit  of  Christ 
is  felt  to  earth's  remotest  bounds. 

4.  That  the  Moderator  of  this  Synod  be  directed  to 
kindly  present  to  the  First  Church,  Nashville,  at  such  time 
during  this  centennial  celebration  as  shall  be  arranged,  the 
hearty  felicitations  of  this  Synod,  and  to  express  our  un- 
feigned interest  and  sincere  regard  for  pastor  and  people  in 
their  rejoicing,  in  which  we  delight  to  share. 


Relations  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  and  of  the  Ex- 
ecutive Committee  of  Foreign  Missions. 
By  Rev.  S.  H.  Chester,  D.D. 

The  discussion  of  my  topic  would  naturally  proceed  un- 
der two  heads :  First,  the  relation  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  to  the  Committee  of  Foreign  Missions,  and,  second, 
the  relation  of  the  committee  to  the  church.  I  did  not  have 
the  privilege  of  hearing  the  splendid  extempore  address  de- 
livered by  my  colleague.  Dr.  Smith,  as  a  part  of  this  cen- 
tennial program,  but  he  showed  me  the  manuscript  of  it, 
and  I  noticed  that  in  his  opening  paragraph,  with  that  won- 
derful gift  of  comprehension  and  condensation  which  he 
possesses,  he  mentioned  almost  everything  that  could  pos- 
sibly be  thought  of  under  the  first  head.  He  referred  feel- 
ingly and  appropriately  to  the  fact  that  your  pastor  is  our 
committee  chairman,  that  one  of  your  elders  is  in  charge 
of  our  health  department,  that  another  one  is  chairman  of 
our  most  important  sub-committee,  that  still  another  one 
looks  after  our  railroad  interests,  and  that  the  roof  over  our 
head  is  your  property.     For  all  of  these  things  I  trust  that 

-199- 


we  are  not  wanting  in  a  proper  feeling  of  gratitude  and  ap- 
preciation. It  is  true  that  for  awhile  after  we  became  your 
beneficiaries  in  the  matter  of  housing,  on  rainy  days  we 
needed  the  protection  of  umbrellas  in  our  offices  in  addition 
to  that  aflforded  by  the  roof,  and  were  put  to  some  expense 
in  providing  buckets  and  tubs  wherein  to  dispose  of  the 
surplus  water  that  found  its  way  through  the  roof  to  our 
floors.  That  little  defect,  however,  was  soon  remedied,  and 
now  we  can  sit  before  our  lovely  grate  fires,  whose  cheerful 
blaze  promotes  mental  quietude,  while  we  wrestle  with  our 
various  and  sundry  problems,  and  the  wilder  the  storm  that 
rages  without  the  more  comfortable  and  cozy  we  feel. 

Under  my  second  head,  I  would  remark  that  the  attitude 
of  the  Foreign  Missions  Committee  towards  the  First 
Qiurch  from  the  beginning  has  been  one  of  hopeful  recep- 
tivity. While  we  have  appreciated  all  that  you  have  done 
for  our  cause  in  the  way  of  financial  help,  we  have  con- 
tinually hoped  that  you  would  do  more.  We  have  ventured 
to  hope  that  by  reason  of  your  close  association  with  us 
and  the  opportunity  which  this  afforded  you  of  knowing 
our  work  and  understanding  its  importance  and  its  needs, 
you  would  become  the  banner  church  of  our  whole  Assem- 
bly in  your  missionary  giving. 

While  you  have  not  yet  attained  to  this  position,  a  glance 
over  your  records  which  I  made  in  preparation  for  these 
remarks  shows  that  you  are  making  hopeful  and  continually 
accelerating  progress  toward  it.  Taking  the  record  for 
forty  years  by  decades,  the  figures  for  the  first  decade  be- 
ginning with  1875  are  $5,754  contributed  to  foreign  mis- 
sions during  that  period.  The  contributions  of  the  second 
decade  beginning  with  1885  were  $14,285,  which  is  more 
than  double  those  of  the  first.  Those  of  the  third  decade 
were  $16,020.  In  the  fourth  decade,  beginning  with  1895, 
the  contributions  mount  up  rapidly,  reaching  the  encour- 
aging sum  total  of  $33,721. 

-200- 


Rev.  Wm.  M.  Anderson,  D.D. 

Pastor  1901-1910. 


The  most  rapid  advance  began  with  the  year  1908,  the 
seventh  year  of  Dr.  Anderson's  pastorate,  the  congregation 
jumping  in  that  year  from  $1,383  to  $3,421. 

The  four  years  of  the  present  pastorate  show  the  best 
record  of  all,  beginning  with  $3,734  in  191 1  and  reaching 
$5,294  in  1914,  the  sum  total  for  the  four  years  being 
$18,744.  This  does  not  prove  that  the  present  pastor  is  a 
more  enthusiastic  missionary  man  than  those  who  preceded 
him,  but  it  does  show  that  he  knows  how  to  wield  for  the 
work  of  the  kingdom  and  to  develop  on  continually  broaden- 
ing lines  the  splendid  force  of  workers  gathered  into  the 
membership  of  this  church  by  his  own  labors  and  the  labors 
of  those  who  preceded  him.  I  am  sure  that  I  voice  the 
unanimous  sentiment  of  the  Committee  of  Foreign  Missions, 
as  well  as  of  this  entire  community,  that  this  second  pas- 
torate of  his  so  auspiciously  begun  may  continue  to  the  end 
of  his  working  days  and  that  this  end  may  be  in  the  far 
distant  future,  and  that  long  before  the  first  decade  of  his 
second  pastorate  is  finished  he  may  have  the  joy  of  seeing 
realized  what  we  know  to  be  the  wish  of  his  heart,  that  this 
church  may  become  the  banner  church,  not  only  of  the 
Southern  Presbyterian  Assembly,  but  of  all  the  churches 
of  this  broad  land,  in  its  helpfulness  to  the  great  cause  of 
foreign  missions  and  to  every  other  cause  connected  with  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 


-201- 


CHAPTER  X. 


REMARKS  AT  THE  OLD  CITY  CEMETERY  NOV.  14, 
1914,  WHEN  THE  GRAVES  OE  THOSE  WHO 
ORGANIZED  THE  CHURCH  WERE  COV- 
ERED WITH  FLOWERS. 

By  Maj.  Wilbur  F.  Foster. 

It  is  a  seemly  and  appropriate  thing,  my  friends,  that 
we  should  this  day  have  come  together  in  "the  silent  city 
of  the  dead,"  where  sleep  so  many  whose  names  we  revere 
and  whose  memory  we  cherish,  to  recall  the  deeds  of  that 
little  band  of  devoted  Christians,  few  in  numbers  but  strong 
in  faith  and  courage  and  purpose,  who  an  hundred  years  ago 
today  bound  themselves  to  each  other  and  to  the  God  of 
their  fathers,  for  His  worship  and  His  service,  and  thus 
laid  the  sure  foundation  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  the 
city  of  Nashville. 

Had  we  the  power  to  "summon  from  the  shadowy  past 
the  forms  that  once  have  been,"  with  what  deep  interest  and 
throbbing  hearts  would  we  listen  to  the  story  from  their 
lips,  of  their  lives,  their  trials,  their  triumphs  and,  above  all, 
their  unfaltering  trust  in  God  and  the  wisdom  and  sure 
fulfilment  of  His  eternal  purposes.  Alas!  that  cannot  be. 
We  can  only  call  the  roll  of  those  honored  names,  read  a 
few  brief  head  lines,  so  to  speak,  of  their  history,  and  with 
loving  hands  cover  their  graves  with  sweet  flowers,  as  a 
token  of  affection  and  grateful  remembrance.  "Such  graves 
as  these  are  pilgrim  shrines,"  and  it  is  well  that  we  stand 
in  this  sacred  ground  with  uncovered  head  and  reverent 
thought,  to  pay  tribute  to  the  memory  of  those  who  are 

-202— 


buried  here,  and  from  their  lives  learn  lessons  of  faithful- 
ness and  steadfast  trust. 

We  shall  first  recall  the  names  of  only  those  pastors  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  whose  graves  are  with  us,  and 
which  it  is  our  privilege  this  day  to  visit.  In  each  case  our 
reference  will  be  brief,  as  ample  historic  record  has  been 
prepared  by  another. 

Rev.  Thomas  B.  Craighead 

Was  a  man  of  strong  character,  a  great  preacher,  an 
eminent  educator  and  a  leader  among  men.  Although 
never  installed  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Nashville,  he  was  yet  the  first  preacher  of  the  Presby- 
terian faith  in  Middle  Tennessee,  and  our  church  was 
organized  by  those  to  whom  he  had  ministered  in  sa- 
cred thingsi  for  many  years,  and  by  whom  he  was  great- 
ly honored  and  beloved.  Records  are  indefinite  and 
sometimes  contradictory,  but  we  think  that  the  follow- 
ing statements  are  correct : 

Rev.  Thomas  B.  Craighead  was  the  oldest  son  of 
Rev.  Alexander  Craighead,  and  was  born  at  Sugar 
Creek,  Mecklenburg  County,  N.  C,  in  1750.  He  was 
educated  at  Princeton,  N.  J,,  and  ordained  to  the  min- 
istry by  Orange  Presbytery,  North  Carolina.  In  1780 
he  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Brown,  daughter  of  Rev. 
John  Brown,  of  Frankfort,  Ky.,  and  in  the  same  year 
moved  to  Spring  H!ill  (or  Haysborough),  six  miles 
northeast  of  Nashville,  and  that  continued  to  be  his 
home  until  his  death  in  the  fall  of  1824. 

The  stone  building  in  which  he  preached  at  Spring 
Hill  was  also  the  schoolroom  in  which,  for  twenty-three 
years  he  taught  the  students  of  Davidson  Academy,  of 
which  he  was  the  founder,  and  the  President  until  1809. 

His  grave  is  in  Spring  Hill  Cemetery,  near  the  spot 
where  stood  the  house  in  which  he  lived  so  many  years, 
and  where  he  died  when  74  years  of  age. 

-203- 


Just  here  in  the  old  City  Cemetery  where  we  are  gath- 
ered are  the  graves  of  two  eminent  men,  Rev.  William 
Hume  and  Rev.  Obadiah  Jennings,  devoted  servants  of  God 
and  both  closely  identified  with  the  early  history  of  Nash- 
ville and  of  the  church  whose  centenary  we  are  commem- 
orating. 

Rev.  William  Hume 

Was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  August  15,  1770,  and 
died  in  Nashville,  May  22,  1833. 

He  was  of  the  "Scotch  Seceder"  faith  and  was  the 
pastor  of  that  congregation  in  Nashville  more  than  sev- 
enteen years,  until  in  1818  he  united  with  the  Presby- 
terian Church  of  the  United  States,  and  labored  as  an 
evangelist  until  his  death,  frequently  filling  the  pulpit 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  but  never  as  its 
pastor. 

He  was  a  most  eminent  man,  greatly  beloved  and 
respected  by  everybody. 

Rev.  Obadiah  Jennings,  D.D., 

Was  born  in  New  Jersey,  December  13,  1778,  and  died 
in  Nashville,  January  12,  1832. 

He  was  installed  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  in  April,  1828,  and  continued  as  such  until  his 
death,  when  only  one  month  more  than  53  years  of  age. 

He  was  a  man  of  great  intellectual  power  and  dis- 
cernment. 

Three  beloved  pastors  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  remains  are  buried  in  beau- 
tiful Mt.  Olivet.  Although  gone  from  among  us  they  are 
not  forgotten,  and  it  is  our  privilege  this  day  to  visit  and 
spread  flowers  upon  their  graves.  These  are  their  honored 
names : 

-204— 


Rev.  John  Todd  Edgar,  D.D. 

Was  born  in  Delaware,  April  13,  1792,  and  died  in 
Nashville,  November  13,  i860. 

He  was  installed  pastor  August  4,  1833,  and  served 
continuously  twenty-seven  years  until  his  death. 

Rev.  Thomas  Verner  Moore,  D.D. 

Was  born  in  Newville,  Pa.,  February  i,  1818,  and 
died  in  Nashville,  August  5,  1871. 

He  was  installed  pastor  January  17,  1869,  and  con- 
tinued as  such  until  his  death. 

Rev.  Thomas  A.  Hoyt,  D.D. 

Was  born  on  Beach  Island,  South  Carolina,  Jan- 
uary 31,  1828,  and  died  at  Bryn  Mawr,  Pa.,  June  29, 
1903. 

He  was  installed  pastor  February  i,  1873,  and  con- 
tinued as  such  until  April  19,  1883. 
It  was  a  notable  birthday  which  we  are  now  celebrating, 
for  one  hundred  years  ago,  on  the  14th  day  of  November, 
1814,  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Nashville  began  its 
life  with  a  membership  of  seven.  Seven  has  ever  been  re- 
garded by  mystics  and  mythologists  as  a  sacred  number, 
a  number  having  peculiar  potency  in  both  spiritual  and  ma- 
terial affairs.  Be  that  as  it  may,  it  is  surely  the  fact  that 
the  earnest  and  devoted  seven  who  that  day  clasped  hands  in 
solemn  covenant  for  the  worship  of  God  and  the  upbuilding 
of  His  church,  began  a  work  which  in  the  providence  of  God, 
and  by  His  blessing,  has  wonderfully  prospered. 

Let  us  briefly  trace  the  record  of  that  notable  seven  who, 
under  the  leadership  of  a  zealous  and  devoted  "man  of 
God,"  the  Rev.  Gideon  Blackburn,  that  day  raised  the  ban- 
ner of  the  Cross,  which,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  never 
has  been  and  surely  never  shall  be  lowered. 

—205- 


Robert  Smiley 

Was  the  only  male  member  of  the  little  band  and 
was  31  years  of  age  at  the  date  we  are  here  to  com- 
memorate. 

From  the  tablet  which  covers  his  grave  we  learn  that 
he  was  born  in  Ireland,  September  11,  1783,  and  died 
in  Nashville  on  his  40th  birthday,  September  11,  1823. 

From  the  scant  record  at  our  command  we  are  led 
to  believe  that  he  was  a  most  earnest  and  devoted  Chris- 
tian, a  man  of  the  highest  integrity,  and  that  he  died 
as  he  had  lived,  "at  peace  with  God  and  at  peace  with 
the  world." 

On  September  7,  1823,  he  was  chosen  President  of 
the  first  Sunday  school  society  organized  in  Nashville. 

He  was  the  honored  ancestor  of  many  descendants 
who  have  ever  "kept  the  faith,"  and  was  the  first  of 
the  long  line  of  ruling  elders  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  having  been  elected  at  its  organization. 

Mrs.  Susanna  Hi.  Ewing. 

Was  the  consort  of  Andrew  Ewing,  and  was  born 
in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  December  25,  1737.  She  was, 
therefore,  almost  JJ  years  of  age  when  this  church  was 
organized.  At  that  time  her  husband  had  been  dead 
about  a  year. 

Their  home  was  four  miles  south  of  the  village,  as  it 
then  was,  on  the  road  which  is  now  the  Granny  White 
Pike,  and  when  her  death  occurred,  October  31,  1818, 
she  was  buried  in  the  family  graveyard  near  the  resi- 
dence, and  there  her  remains  still  rest  beside  those  of 
her  husband,  under  the  shade  of  the  great  oak  trees  that 
surrounded  her  home,  and  in  the  midst  of  a  landscape 
fair  and  beautiful  beyond  description,  albeit  less  than 
fifty  years  later  the  wavering  lines  of  contending  armies 

—206- 


swung  to  and  fro  across  these  graves  where  the  dead 
slept  so  peacefully,  for  they  were  in  the  very  line  of  the 
Confederate  entrenchments  at  the  battle  of  Nashville. 

Of  her  husband,  Andrew  Ewing,  it  is  recorded  that 
he  was  of  the  Quaker  persuasion ;  "was  one  of  the  bright- 
est ornaments  of  that  sect,  and  proverbially  good,  honest 
and  charitable." 

He  was  the  first  Clerk  of  Davidson  County,  holding 
that  office  from  October,  1783,  until  his  death,  May, 
1813. 

Their  many  descendants  have  ever  been  eminent  in 
social,  business  and  professional  life. 

Mrs.  Mary  McNairy 

Was  the  wife  of  Frank  McNairy,  the  senior  mem- 
ber of  a  family  conspicuous  in  both  the  early  and  later 
history  of  Nashville  and  the  State  of  Tennessee. 

We  have  not  been  able  to  learn  the  record  of  her  life, 
or  the  date  and  place  of  her  death  and  burial.  It  is  the 
belief  of  some  of  her  descendants  that  she  returned  to 
North  Carolina  with  her  husband,  and  that  they  both 
died  and  were  buried  in  that  State. 

Mrs.  Josiah  Nichol 

Was  born  near  King's  Salt  Works,  Washington 
County,  Virginia,  September  22,  1781.  Her  maiden 
name  was  Eleanor  Ryburn,  and  she  was  married  at  the 
place  of  her  birth  to  Josiah  Nichol,  April  19,  1797,  when 
less  than  16  years  of  age.  She  died  at  Nashville,  No- 
vember 19,  1864.  Her  grave  in  the  old  City  Cemetery, 
unmarked  by  a  monument,  adjoins  on  the  south  side 
that  of  her  husband,  who  died  May  31,  1833,  in  the 
62d  year  of  his  age. 

Mrs,  Nichol  was  a  few  days  more  than  33  years  of 

—207- 


age  when  this  church  was  organized,  and  at  that  time 
was  the  mother  of  nine  children,  seven  of  whom  were 
then  living.  Three  others  were  born  later.  She  is  still 
well  remembered  with  respect  and  affection  by  the  older 
citizens  of  Nashville. 

Mrs.  Ruth  Greer  Talbot. 

Due  north  from  yonder  courthouse  two  and  one-half 
miles  "as  the  crow  flies,"  on  the  northern  slope  of  one 
of  the  beautiful  hills  that  encircle  the  city  of  Nashville, 
stands  a  substantial  two-story  dwelling  that  is  now  124 
years  old.  It  was  built  of  cedar  logs  cut  from  the 
surrounding  forest  and  put  together  with  wooden  pins. 
When  built  it  was  of  such  stately  magnificence  as  com- 
pared with  other  dwellings  of  that  date  that  it  was 
known  far  and  wide  as  "The  Mansion."  This  house, 
which  is  still  occupied  as  a  dwelling,  was  built  by  a  man 
who  came  from  the  Watauga  Settlement  in  East  Ten- 
nessee, wearing  upon  his  scalp  a  furrow  plowed  by  a 
bullet  at  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain.  He  had  been 
Sheriff  of  Washington  County,  then  of  North  Caro- 
lina, and  was  Clerk  of  the  Senate  at  the  first  meeting 
of  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  Franklin. 

His  name  was  Thomas  Talbot,  and  with  him  came  his 
wife,  Ruith  Greer  Talbot.  Two  children  came  with  them 
and  shortly  after  their  arrival  the  third  child,  Sophia 
Western,  was  born.  Twenty-three  years  later  the  mother, 
Ruth  Greer,  and  the  daughter,  Sophia  Western,  then  the 
wife  of  Elihu  S.  Hall,  became  charter  members  of  this 
church. 

Ruth  Greer  Talbot  was  born  April  29,  1768,  at  the 
home  of  her  father,  Andrew  Greer,  on  the  Watauga 
River  about  three  miles  above  Elizabethton ;  was  mar- 
ried when  17  years  of  age ;  moved  to  Nashville  when 
22  years  old,  where  she  died  October  7,  1819. 

-208- 


Rev.  James  I.  Vance,  D.D., 

Pastor   T89S-1900;    1910 . 


Hard  by  the  "mansion"  where  she  lived,  in  the  thick 
shade  of  a  beautiful  grove,  in  the  valley  of  the  little 
stream  now  known  as  Page's  Branch,  is  the  quiet  burial 
ground  in  which  is  her  grave  beside  that  of  her  hus- 
band, Thomas  Talbot. 

She  was  a  woman  of  strong  character,  energetic  and 
industrious ;  the  mother  of  eight  children,  and  is  de- 
scribed as  "an  affectionate  wife,  a  tender  mother,  an 
indulgent  mistress,  a  kind  neighbor  and  charitable  to 
the  poor." 

Sophia  Western  Hall, 

The  wife  of  Elihu  S.  Hall,  was  the  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Ruth  Greer  Talbot,  as  already  stated.  The 
date  of  her  marriage  we  have  not  been  able  to  learn. 
Her  death  occurred  January  21,  1816,  and  her  grave  is  in 
the  southeastern  portion  of  the  old  City  Cemetery,  under 
the  monument  inscribed  to  her  memory. 

She  was  23  years  of  age  when  she  became  a  charter 
member  of  this  church  and  in  her  26th  year  at  her  death. 

Margaret  L.  Anderson 

Was  the  wife  of  Col.  Patton  Anderson,  U.  S.  A.  Of 
her  life  we  have  been  able  to  learn  but  little.  In  a  foot- 
note in  the  history  of  this  church  prepared  by  Rev.  R. 
F.  Bunting,  D.D.,  it  is  stated  that  he  was  in  correspond- 
ence with  her  in  1868,  and  that  she  was  then  Mrs.  M.  L. 
Bybee  and  was  living  in  Memphis.  Dr.  Bunting  states 
that  by  her  memory  of  the  fact  he  was  enabled  to  learn 
the  date  of  the  organization  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church. 

From  this  it  appears  that  after  the  death  of  Colonel 
Anderson  she  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Bybee  and  lived 
in  Memphis,  where  she  probably  was  buried. 

-209— 

14 


Thus  we  end  the  brief  record  of  the  illustrious  seven 
who  were  the  charter  members  of  this  church,  a  record  each 
item  of  which  might  be  expanded  into  a  story  of  thrilling 
interest. 

There  were  tw,o  others,  Mrs.  Felix  Grundy  and  Mrs. 
Robert  Lusk,  who  were  not  present  at  the  organization,  but 
whose  names  are  so  inseparably  linked  with  the  history  of 
the  early  days  and  later  life  of  the  church  in  the  century 
which  ends  today  that  failure  to  pay  tribute  to  their  memory 
and  make  record  of  their  noble  service  would  be  inexcusable. 
We  shall  try  to  be  brief. 

Mrs.  Robert  Lusk. 

Matilda  F.  Fairfax,  "Mother  Lusk,"  as  she  was  lov- 
ingly called  by  many  in  her  later  years,  was  a  citizen  of 
Nashville  throughout  her  long  life  of  nearly  89  years. 
Here  it  was  she  was  born,  January  15,  1810.  Here  she 
was  married  by  the  Rev.  William  Hume,  October  7, 
1829,  to  Robert  Lusk,  who  for  many  years  was  the 
efficient  Treasurer  of  this  church,  and  here  it  was  that 
she  died,  November  27,  1898. 

Mrs.  Lusk  became  a  member  of  the  First  Presbyte- 
rian Church  December  17,  1842,  and  then  for  fifty  years, 
half  the  century  whose  passing  we  now  commemorate, 
it  was  she  whose  hands  prepared  the  communion  bread, 
and  with  unfailing  regularity  provided  for  the  sacred 
feast. 

Again,  when  war  swept  over  the  city  and  the  church 
and  its  contents  were  seized  by  the  invading  army  for 
occupation  and  use  as  a  hospital,  it  was  she  who  de- 
manded and  reclaimed  the  portrait  of  the  late  pastor. 
Dr.  Edgar,  also  the  cushions  of  the  church  and  the  pul- 
pit furniture;  removed  them  to  her  home  and  stored 
them,  together  with  the  silver  communion  service,  in 
her  parlor,  where  they  remained  in  safety  until  after 

—210— 


the  war  was  over  and  the  church  was  restored  to  its 
rightful  owners  in  1865. 

Let  us  honor  her  merriory  and  decorate  her  grave 
in  peaceful  Mt.  OHivet. 

Mrs.  Felix  Orundy, 

Whose  maiden  name  was  Ann  Phillips  Rodgers,  was 
the  daughter  of  John  Rodgers  and  his  wife,  Sarah 
Dougherty,  and  was  born  in  Virginia,  December  6,  1779. 
She  was  descended  from  a  notable  family  of  Scotch- 
Irish  Presbyterians,  one  of  whom  was  President  of  Har- 
vard College  in  1684.  When  but  a  child  she  came  with 
her  parents  to  Kentucky,  where  she  was  married  to  him 
who  became  so  eminent  as  a  lawyer  and  a  statesman. 
In  the  winter  of  1807-8  they  removed  to  Nashville  and 
at  once  Mrs.  Grundy  became  active  and  zealous  in  the 
life  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church.  To  select  one 
from  the  many  incidents  connected  therewith: 

We  are  told  that  in  1819  the  Bible  was  excluded  from 
use  in  the  public  school  of  Nashville,  and  then  it  was 
that  Mrs.  Grundy,  believing  that  the  public  services  of 
the  church  were  inadequate  for  the  purpose,  determined 
that  the  children  of  the  village  "must  be  taught  the  way 
from  earth  to  heaven."  And  so,  in  the  face  of  very 
great  opposition,  even  from  church  people,  Mrs.  Grundy 
opened  a  school  on  Sunday  morning,  July  2,  1820,  with 
fifteen  scholars.  The  use  of  church  buildings  for  the 
purpose  was  peremptorily  refused,  and  the  school  was 
opened  in  a  little  dilapidated  cabin  among  the  cedars  in 
the  rear  of  the  McKendree  Church. 

And  this  was  the  planting  of  Sunday  schools  in  Nash- 
ville. Behold  the  splendid  fruitage!  God  has  blessed 
the  work,  and  we,  nearly  an  hundred  years  later,  come 
with  thanksgiving,  praise  and  gratitude  to  pay  loving 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  her  who  planted  the  seed. 

-211- 


In  yonder  Olivet,  where  the  earliest  rays  of  the  ris- 
ing sun  and  its  latest  beams  as  it  sinks  in  the  west  rest 
in  benediction  upon  her  grave,  flowers  are  spread  by 
loving  hands  today,  and  in  the  bright  future,  as  the  years 
come  and  go,  wherever  her  name  shall  be  spoken  and 
the  story  of  her  life  be  told,  the  glad  voices  of  happy 
children  and  the  grateful  hearts  of  fathers  and  mothers 
will  thank  God  that  such  a  woman  once  lived ! 
And  so  we  close. 

"God  be  thanked  that  the  dead  have  left  still 

Good  undone  for  the  living  to  do; 
Still  some  aim  for  the  heart  and  the  will, 

And  the  soul  of  a  man  to  pursue." 


-212- 


CHAPTER  XI. 


THE   STAYING  POWER  OF  PRESBYTERIANISM. 
By  President  Walter  W.  Moore,  D.D. 

"They  that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall  renew  their 
strength ;  they  shall  mount  up  with  wings  as  eagles ;  they 
shall  run,  and  not  be  weary;  and  they  shall  walk  and  not 
faint." — Isaiah  40:31. 

These  words  were  written  for  the  encouragement  of 
the  Jewish  captives  in  Babylonia.  For  nearly  seventy  years 
they  had  languished  in  exile  and  they  were  thoroughly  dis- 
heartened. They  were  a  broken  and  helpless  people.  Their 
deliverance  and  restoration  to  their  own  land  seemed  an 
utter  impossibility.  But  the  prophet  declares  that,  so  far 
from  being  an  impossibility,  it  is  a  certainty,  because  it  has 
been  decreed  by  the  Almighty,  and  He  calls  upon  them  to 
put  their  trust  in  God,  the  source  of  all  power,  and  to 
bestir  themselves  and  march  forth  in  His  strength,  buoyant, 
energetic,  persistent ;  for  "they  that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall 
renew  their  strength ;  they  shall  mount  up  with  wings  as 
eagles ;  they  shall  run  and  not  be  weary ;  and  they  shall  walk 
and  not  faint."  What  strikes  us  at  first  sight  as  curious 
about  this  statement  is  the  order  in  which  these  results  of 
faith  in  God  are  given — flying,  running,  walking.  That 
seems  to  us  an  inversion  of  the  natural  order.  We  are  apt 
to  say,  surely  walking  is  easier  than  running,  and  running 
is  easier  than  flying.  We  should  have  expected  the  prophet 
to  say,  They  that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall  renew  their 
strength ;  they  shall  walk  and  not  faint,  they  shall  run  and 
not  be  weary,  and  they  shall  mount  up  with  wings  as  eagles. 

—213— 


But  he  does  not  say  that.    H!is  order  is  not  walking,  running, 
flying,  but  flying,  running,  walking. 

It  sounds  like  an  anti-climax.  But  it  is  not.  On  the 
contrary,  as  George  Adam  Smith  has  well  said,  it  is  a  true 
climax,  rising  from  the  easier  to  the  more  difficult.  It  is  a 
true  description  of  Christian  life  and  work.  It  is  far  easier 
to  mount  up  with  wings  as  eagles  and  to  run  and  not  be 
weary  than  it  is  to  walk  and  not  faint.  It  is  far  easier  to  kin- 
dle a  blaze  of  temporary  enthusiasm  about  religion,  or  make 
a  burst  of  speed  in  some  new  religious  enterprise  than  it  is  to 
persevere  through  difficulties,  dangers  and  disappointments. 
The  most  effective  servant  of  God  is  not  the  man  of  ardent 
feeling  or  impetuous  zeal,  but  the  man  of  steadfast  persist- 
ence— not  the  man  who  can  fly  or  the  man  who  can  run, 
but  the  man  who  can  plod.  We  do  need  the  uplift  of  en- 
thusiasm, and  we  do  need  the  dash  of  energy,  but  we  need 
still  more  the  power  of  endurance.  A  skyrocket  is  a  beau- 
tiful thing  and  by  no  means  without  its  uses ;  a  bonfire  is  a 
joyous  thing,  and  by  no  means  devoid  of  warmth,  but  a 
lire  of  good  hickory  logs  or  hard  coals  is  better.  The  text 
describes  three  phases  of  religious  experience — the  ecstatic, 
the  impetuous  and  the  persistent.  They  are  all  of  value,  but 
the  one  that  counts  for  most  in  the  long  run — the  one  that 
accomplishes  most  in  the  end — is  the  persistent. 

Flying,  running,  walking — soaring,  spurting,  trudging — 
enthusiasm,  energy,  endurance — these  three,  but  the  great- 
est of  these  is  endurance. 

And  that,  my  brethren,  is  the  real  reason  why  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  has  done  so  great  a  work  in  the  world  and 
has  won  so  great  a  place  in  history.  No  denomination  in  all 
the  sisterhood  of  churches  has  shown  more  staunchness  and 
steadfastness  and  persistence  and  "patient  continuance  in 
well  doing."  It  is  sometimes  said  that  the  reason  for  the 
great  position  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  history  is  its 
intellectual   force.     But  that  is  only  a  part  of  the  truth. 

—214— 


The  quality  which  has  given  it  an  influence  out  of  all  pro- 
portion to  its  numbers  is  not  primarily  a  quality  of  mind,  but 
a  quality  of  character.  For,  as  the  Saturday  Evening  Post 
has  said,  "Ability  never  amounts  to  much  until  it  acquires 
two  more  letters  and  becomes  stability."  And  whatever  else 
men  may  say  about  you  as  a  church,  they  all  with  one  ac- 
cord give  you  credit  for  staying  power,  for  steadiness,  for 
perseverance.  And  they  respect  you  for  it.  They  know 
that  while  flying  and  running  attract  more  attention  than 
walking,  while  the  obtrusive  things  of  life  win  more  ap- 
plause, it's  the  steady  things  of  life  that  accomplish  more 
results.  A  brilliant  minister  of  a  sister  denomination  said 
once  that  a  Presbyterian  congregation  was  more  trying  to 
him  than  any  other  because  they  had  so  little  apparent  enthu- 
siasm and  looked  at  everything  in  such  a  sober-sided,  steady 
way.  "However,"  he  added,  "they  have  some  good  points, 
and  one  of  them  is  that  they  unll  pull  on  a  cold  collar."  He 
meant  that  like  a  staunch  team  of  horses,  they  would  do 
their  duty  at  any  time  regardless  of  the  state  of  their  feel- 
ings.   They  pull  whether  they  feel  like  it  or  not. 

Professor  Upham  has  said  that  there  are  two  classes  of 
Christians — those  who  live  chiefly  by  emotion  and  those 
who  live  chiefly  by  faith.  The  first  class,  those  who  live 
chiefly  by  emotion,  remind  one  of  ships  that  move  by  the 
outward  impulse  of  winds  operating  upon  sails.  They  are 
often  in  a  dead  calm,  often  out  of  their  course,  and  some- 
times driven  back.  And  it  is  only  when  the  winds  are  fair 
and  powerful  that  they  move  onward  with  rapidity.  The 
other  class,  those  who  live  chiefly  by  faith,  remind  one  of 
the  mighty  steamers  which  cross  the  Atlantic,  which  are 
moved  by  an  interior  and  permanent  force,  and  which,  set- 
ting at  defiance  all  ordinary  obstacles,  advance  steadily  and 
swiftly  to  their  destination,  through  calm  and  storm,  through 
cloud  and  sunshine.  Those  who  depend  for  inspiration  on 
the  state  of  their  own  fluctuating  feelings  or  on  external 

—215- 


conditions  will  be  strenuous  or  slack  in  their  work,  accord- 
ing as  the  outlook  is  promising  or  unpromising,  but  those 
who  wait  upon  the  Lord,  those  who  trust  fully  His  unchang- 
ing wisdom,  power  and  love,  will  work  steadily  on  regard- 
less alike  of  their  feelings  and  their  circumstances. 

We  have  an  English  colloquialism  to  describe  a  thing 
that  starts  well  and  then  fails.  We  say  it  peters  out.  Dr. 
Denison  has  suggested  that  the  expression  is  derived  from 
the  name  of  that  impulsive,  boastful  disciple  who  in  his 
earlier  career  was  always  making  such  a  brave  start  and  then 
failing  to  make  good.  Peter  did  this  so  often  that  that  sort 
of  performance  had  come  to  be  known  by  his  name.  We 
say  of  a  man  who  acts  that  way  that  he  peters  out.  He 
lacks  constancy,  steadfastness,  persistence.  Now,  your  ideal 
Presbyterian  is  certainly  not  a  quitter.  He  sticks  to  it. 
He  sees  the  thing  through.  He  works  at  it  steadily.  He 
bends  all  his  powers  to  it  as  though  the  whole  success  of  it 
depended  on  him.  And  yet  he  says,  and  says  truly,  that 
the  whole  success  of  it  depends  on  God.  Indeed,  he  so  mag- 
nifies the  sovereignty  of  God  in  salvation  and  in  all  re- 
ligious work,  he  so  insists  that  divine  power  alone  can  ac- 
complish real  results,  that  superficial  observers  sometimes 
accuse  him  of  fatalism.  They  say,  "You  Presbyterians 
stress  the  sovereignty  of  God  so  much  that  you  destroy 
the  sense  of  human  responsibility,  you  cut  the  nerves  of 
human  effort,  you  say  God  does  everything,  then  there  is 
no  occasion  for  man  to  do  anything,  you  put  a  premium  on 
sloth."  Well,  the  answer  to  all  this  is  historic  fact.  It  is 
precisely  the  people  who  have  so  exalted  the  sovereignty  of 
God  that  have  always  done  the  most  strenuous  and  per- 
sistent work  for  His  Kingdom.  And  that  is  the  teaching 
of  our  text.  Wait  upon  the  Lord,  mount  up  with  wings, 
run,  walk.  It  is  a  trumpet  call  to  faith  in  the  sovereign 
power  of  God,  who  increaseth  strength  to  them  that  have 
no  migbt,  and  it  is  a  trumpet  call  to  the  most  intense  and 
persistent  self-exertion — flying,  running,  walking. 

-216— 


The  combination  that  God  has  ordained  in  order  to  the 
best  success  is  trust  and  toil — absolute  dependence  on  Him 
and  manly  self-dependence.  And  this  is  the  combination 
that  has  made  our  people  so  great  a  force  in  human  affairs. 
I  am,  of  course,  very  far  from  claiming  that  Presbyterians 
have  a  monopoly  of  this  combination.  We  honor  it  equally 
when  we  see  it  in  our  brethren  of  other  churches.  But  we 
may  claim,  I  think,  without  immodesty,  that  no  denomination 
has  exemplified  this  combination  more  signally  than  ours, 
and  that  as  a  consequence  none  has  shown  more  staying 
power  in  character  and  work. 

There  are  three  features  of  the  Presbyterian  system 
which  have  contributed  powerfully  to  the  making  of  this 
intelligent,  steadfast,  dependable  type  of  Christian  char- 
acter: First,  the  Presbyterian  polity,  or  mode  of  church 
government;  second,  the  Presbyterian  type  of  worship,  or 
forms  of  service,  and  third,  the  Presbyterian  creed,  or  sys- 
tem of  doctrine. 

THE    PRESBYTERIAN    POLITY. 

I.  In  its  polity,  or  method  of  ecclesiastical  organization 
and  government,  Presbyterianism  is  republican  in  its  form 
and  spirit.  Its  fundamental  principles  are  personal  liberty 
and  constitutional  organization. 

A  personal  libery  such  as  is  involved  in  the  Protestant 
doctrine  of  the  priesthood  of  all  believers,  bringing  every 
man  face  to  face  with  God,  and  teaching  that  each  indi- 
vidual "must  for  himself  realize  the  priceless  benefits  and 
dignities  of  redemption,"  gives  to  every  man  persona)! 
worth,  and  cannot  fail  to  put  a  premium  upon  the  best 
development  of  all  his  powers. 

The   other   principle   is   constitutional   self-government. 

Presbyterianism  holds  that  church  power  rests  not  in 
the  clergy  but  in  the  people,  and  that  church  government 
is  administered  not  by  a  single  individual,  which  would  be 
monarchy,  nor  immediately  by  the  people,  which  would  be 

-217- 


democracy,  but  by  representatives  of  the  people,  chosen 
by  the  people,  and  sitting  in  constitutional  assemblies.  These 
representatives  are  of  equal  rank.  Presbyterianism  asserts 
not  merely  the  parity  of  ministers,  but  the  parity  of  Pres- 
byters, the  teaching  elder  and  the  ruling,  elder  have  equal 
authority  in  all  the  courts.  It  is  popular  government  by 
representative  majorities.  In  short,  the  Presbyterian  Church 
is  an  ecclesiastical  republic. 

Now,  the  very  first  necessity  of  a  successful  republic  is 
general'  intelligence.  Presbyterianism  has  thus  been  com- 
pelled by  the  genius  of  its  organization,  even  by  the  instinct 
of  self-preservation,  to  promote  the  education  of  all  its  peo- 
ple. A  system  which  teaches  that  church  power  rests  in  the 
people  and  is  administered  by  representatives  of  the  people 
is  of  necessity  the  friend  of  the  education  of  the  people. 
This  is  the  ground  of  Bancroft's  statement  that  Calvin  was 
the  father  of  popular  education,  the  inventor  of  the  system 
of  free  schools. 

The  two  great  principles  which  characterize  Calvin's 
system,  viz :  personal  liberty  or  the  worth  of  the  individual, 
and  republican  organization  or  constitutional  self-govern- 
ment, are  both  derived  directly  from  Scripture,  and  it  is  in 
these  two  principles  that  we  find  much  of  the  potency  of 
Presbyterianism  as  a  maker  of  character,  a  maker  of  men, 
a  maker  of  citizens.  It  teaches  that  all  men  are  the  sons  of 
the  Lord  Almighty,  that  all  are  equal  and  all  are  kings; 
that  every  soul  is  of  infinite  value  and  dignity  and  that  each 
individual  mind  may  be  in  direct  communication  with  its 
Creator.  With  such  a  conception  of  man  there  can  be  no 
despotism  in  church  or  state.  No  prelate  or  king  can  be 
lord  over  another  man's  conscience. 

The  historic  opposition  of  Presbyterianism  to  all  tyranny 
in  church  or  state  is  therefore  not  an  accident.  It  is  no 
accident  that  Presbyterianism  has  furnished  more  martyrs 
to  Christianity  since  the  Reformation  than  all  the  other 

—218- 


churches  combined.  It  is  no  accident  that  Presbyterianism 
has  taken  a  leading  part  in  all  those  great  movements  which 
have  secured  the  religious  and  civil  liberty  now  enjoyed  by 
the  foremost  nations  of  the  world.  These  things  have 
sprung  naturally  and  inevitably  out  of  the  Presbyterian  es- 
timate of  the  worth  of  the  individual  and  the  Presbyterian 
theory  of  government  by  the  people.  ''Civil  and  religious 
liberty  are  linked  together.  In  whom  does  church  power 
rest?  In  the  people  or  in  the  clergy?  When  you  settle 
that  question  you  decide  the  question  also  of  the  civil  liberty 
of  the  nation.  If  you  decide  that  the  power  rests  with  the 
clergy,  then  you  establish  a  principle  which,  by  an  inevitable 
analogy,  associates  itself  with  the  principle  that  the  civil 
power  rests  in  kings  and  nobles."  Hence  the  remark  of 
Lord  Bacon  that  "Discipline  by  bishops  is  fittest  for  mon- 
archy of  all  others.  But  if  you  settle,  as  Presbyterians  do, 
that  church  power  rests  in  the  people,  in  the  church  itself, 
then  from  this  principle  springs  the  other,  that  civil  power 
rests  in  the  people  themselves  and  that  all  civil  rulers  are 
the  servants  of  the  people."  If  there  is  liberty  in  the 
church,  there  will  be  liberty  in  the  State ;  if  there  is  no 
bishop  in  the  church,  there  will  be  no  tyrant  on  the  throne." 
Hence  it  is  that  modern  tyrants  have  with  one  consent 
recognized  that  Presbyterianism  was  their  natural  enemy 
and  have  hated  and  feared  it  accordingly.  Charles  the  First 
of  England,  whose  inability  to  tell  the  truth  and  keep  an  oath 
cost  him  his  head,  did  tell  the  truth  once  at  least  when  he 
said,  "The  doctrine  (of  the  Presbyterians)  is  anti-monar- 
chical," and  he  added  that  "there  was  not  a  wiser  man  since 
Solomon  than  he  who  said,  'No  bishop,  no  king.'  "  James 
the  First,  born  and  reared  a  Scot,  spoke  what  he  knew  when, 
at  the  Hampton  Court  Conference,  he  said,  "Ye  are  aiming 
at  a  Scot's  Presbytery,  which  agrees  with  monarchy  as  well 
as  God  and  the  devil."  History  has  demonstrated  that  the 
views  thus  expressed  by  the  Stuart  kings  were  absolutely 

-219- 


correct.  Presbyterianism  has  not  only  placed  a  premium 
on  self-culture  by  its  doctrine  of  personal  liberty  and  its 
estimate  of  the  worth  of  the  individual ;  it  has  not  only  placed 
a  premium  on  general  intelligence  by  its  republican  polity, 
which  rests  the  power  of  government  in  the  people  them- 
selves and  administers  it  through  representatives  of  the 
people,  but,  as  a  natural  consequence,  it  has  in  every  age 
been  a  chief  educator  of  the  people  in  the  principles  of  civil 
liberty  and  has  in  every  land  reared  heroic  champions  of 
human  freedom — Admiral  Coligni  in  France,  William  the 
Silent  in  Holland,  John  Knox  in  Scotland,  and  William  the 
Third  of  England,  whose  victory  at  the  battle  of  the  Boyne 
saved  the  British  Empire  and  America,  too,  from  the  blight- 
ing rule  of  Rome.  As  to  our  own  struggle  for  national  in- 
dependence, it  is  well  known  that  the  revolt  of  the  Ameri- 
can colonies  was  spoken  of  in  England  as  a  Presbyterian 
rebellion.  When  Horace  Walpole  said,  "Cousin  America 
has  run  away  with  a  Presbyterian  parson,"  he  was  doubtless 
referring  particularly  to  Rev.  Dr.  John  Witherspoon,  Presi- 
dent of  Princeton,  whose  speech  in  the  Colonial  Congress 
swept  the  waiverers  to  a  decision  in  favor  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  and  who  was  the  only  minister  of  any 
denomination  who  signed  that  immortal  document;  but 
Walpole's  remark  might  well  have  been  made  with  the 
whole  body  of  American  Presbyterian  ministers  in  view. 
They  instructed  the  people  in  their  rights.  They  called 
them  to  arms  in  defense  of  their  liberties.  They  sat  in  the 
councils  of  state.  They  endured  the  privations  of  the  camp 
and  the  fatigues  of  the  march,  and  they  fought  beside  their 
parishioners  on  the  fields  of  bloody  strife.  It  is  not  too  much 
to  say  that  the  American  Revolution  could  not  have  suc- 
ceeded but  for  the  Presbyterian  ministers.  While  some 
denominations  were  opposed  to  war  under  any  circum- 
stances, and  therefore  preferred  submission  to  armed  resist- 
ance, and  while  the  clergy  of  some  other  denominations  sup- 

-220— 


ported  the  crown  and  bitterly  opposed  the  movements  for 
independence,  the  Presbyterian  ministers  throughout  the 
whole  country,  from  New  England  to  Georgia,  gave  to  the 
cause  of  the  colonies  all  that  they  could  give  of  the  sanction 
of  religion,  and  wherever  a  minister  of  that  denomination 
was  settled,  the  people  around  him  were  Whigs  almost  to  a 
man.  This  is  now  gratefully  recognized  by  our  brethren  of 
all  denominations,  and  whatever  the  indifference  or  short- 
comings or  hostility  of  their  own  ministers  to  the  people's 
cause  in  the  Revolutionary  struggle,  they  all  now  alike 
honor  the  Presbyterian  ministers  who  denounced  the  op- 
pression of  the  mother  country,  and  fired  the  hearts  of  the 
people  to  resistance,  and  fought  and  suffered  to  secure  the 
freedom  in  which  all  alike  rejoice  today. 

In  speaking  of  Presbyterians  it  is  generally  quality  that 
is  considered  rather  than  numbers ;  when  the  world  esti- 
mates their  services  it  does  not  count,  it  weighs.  Bishop 
Candler,  of  the  Methodist  Church,  says :  "There  is  only  one 
objection  to  the  Presbyterians,  that  is,  there  are  not  enough 
of  them."  Yet  in  mere  bulk  and  number,  as  well  as  in 
influence,  they  contributed  more  than  any  other  strain  of 
our  people  to  the  Revolutionary  army.  One-third  of  the 
whole  population  of  the  colonies  at  that  time  was  of  Pres- 
byterian stock  and  they  were  then,  as  always,  the  kind  of 
people  who  did  not  put  their  hand  to  the  plow  and  look 
back. 

The  Presbyterian  polity,  then,  has  been  a  mighty  pro- 
moter of  the  intelligent  and  steadfast  type  of  Christian  pa- 
triot. By  its  fundamental  principle  of  personal  liberty  and 
the  worth  of  the  individual  it  has  strongly  stimulated  self- 
culture  ;  by  its  fundamental  principle  of  representative  gov- 
ernment, with  its  inevitable  demand  for  general  intelli- 
gence, it  has  strongly  stimulated  popular  education;  and, 
growing  out  of  these  two  as  naturally  as  a  tree  springs 
from  its  roots,  it  has  developed  a  strong  type  of  manly 

—221— 


character,  hatred  of  tyranny  and  love  of  liberty  in  the  state 
as  well  as  the  church,  and,  we  think,  has  become  one  of 
the  best  promoters  of  ideal  citizenship  that  the  world  has 
ever  seen. 

THE  PRESBYTERIAN  WORSHIP. 

2.  A  second  thing  which  has  contributed  to  the  staying- 
power  of  Presbyterianism  is  its  type  of  worship.  As  Dr. 
McPherson  says,  its  forms  of  worship,  like  those  of  the 
New  Testament,  are  usually  simple  and  non-ritualistic.  In 
view  of  the  dangers  of  formalistic  and  spectacular  services 
the  common  Presbyterian  custom  has  been  to  follow  an 
order  which  is  plain  and  reasonable,  and  perhaps  occa- 
sionally austere.  Often  defective  in  beautiful  ceremonies 
which  appeal  to  the  aesthetic  instincts,  sometimes  deficient 
also  in  the  enthusiasm  which  warms  the  feelings,  Presbyte- 
rianism has  steadily  made  its  specific  impression  upon  the 
mind  rather  than  the  tastes  or  the  emotions,  appealing  to 
ideas  and  convictions  more  directly  than  to  the  sentiments 
or  the  external  senses.  Accordingly,  Mr.  Froude,  who  was 
certainly  no  Presbyterian,  has  said,  "When  emotion  and 
sentiment  and  tender  imaginative  piety  have  become  the 
handmaids  of  superstition,  and  have  dreamt  themselves  into 
forget  fulness  that  there  is  any  difiference  between  lies  and 
the  truth,  the  slavish  form  of  belief  called  Calvinism  in  one 
or  other  of  its  many  forms  has  ever  borne  an  inflexible 
front  to  illusion  and  mendacity,  and  preferred  rather  to  be 
ground  to  powder  like  flint  than  to  bend  before  violence  or 
melt  under  enervating  temptation." 

This  is,  in  great  part,  a  result  of  the  robust  thought- 
fulness  of  Presbyterian  worship.  "In  particular,  Presbyte- 
rianism has  always  exalted  the  sermon  as  a  leading  part  of 
worship,  and  thus  emphasized  the  teaching  function  of  the 
minister  to  the  extinction  of  the  priestly.  The  high  themes 
of  the  Christian  pulpit  in  the  hands  of  trained  and  earnest 
men  have  supplied  a  measureless  educational  force.    Popular 

-222- 


ignorance  scatters  like  mist  before  the  sun  in  the  presence  of 
able,  convincing  and  persuasive  sermons. 

"In  view  of  this  uniform  importance  which  Presbyterian- 
ism  has  attached  to  the  didactic  vocation  of  the  pulpit, 
it  naturally  produces  a  peculiar  type  of  experience  and 
character  in  its  worshipers.  If  they  are  reserved  in  the 
expression  of  passionate  fervor,  if  they  come  short  in  ar- 
tistic sensibility,  they  are  as  a  class  highly  developed  in  the 
substantial  elements  of  intellect,  judgment  and  conscience. 
They  are  trained  to  think,  to  reason,  to  weigh  and  to  decide 
for  themselves.  They  can  generally  give  a  reason  for  the 
hope  that  is  in  them.  They  follow  common  sense  and  ap- 
point themselves  detectives  of  humbug,  and  they  are  re- 
markably free  from  visionary  whims,  caprices  and  vaga- 
ries."   They  have  staying  power. 

THE    PRESBYTERIAN    CREED. 

3.  The  third  reason  for  the  staunchness  of  the  Pres- 
byterian type  of  religion  is  its  creed  or  system  of  doctrine. 

There  is  not  time  to  amplify  this  point,  so  I  will  simply 
cite  the  testimony  of  three  eminent  witnesses,  neither  of 
whom  is  a  Presbyterian. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Curry,  an  able  and  distinguished  leader  of 
the  Methodist  Church  in  America,  says  of  the  Westminster 
Confession  of  Faith :  "It  is  the  clearest  and  most  com- 
prehensive system  of  doctrine  ever  framed.  It  is  not  only 
a  wonderful  monument  of  the  intellectual  greatness  of  its 
framers,  but  also  a  comprehensive  embodiment  of  nearly 
all  the  precious  truths  of  the  gospel.  We  concede  to  the 
Calvinistic  churches  the  honor  of  having  all  along  directed 
the  best  thinking  of  the  country." 

Ralph  Waldo  Emerson  laments  in  the  following  lan- 
guage the  effect  of  New  England's  lapse  from  Calvinism 
to  Unitarianism :  "Our  later  generation  appears  ungirt, 
frivolous,  compared  with  the  religions  of  the  last  or  Cal- 
vinistic age.     The  religion  seventy  years  ago  was  an  iron 

-223- 


belt  to  the  mind,  giving  it  concentration  and  force.  A  rude 
people  were  kept  respectable  by  the  determination  of  thought 
on  the  eternal  world.  Now,  men  fall  abroad,  want  polarity, 
suffer  in  character  and  intellect." 

H'enry  Ward  Beecher,  Congregatipnalist  and  extreme 
liberal  though  he  was,  says :  "There  is  no  system  which 
equals  Calvinism  in  intensifying  to  the  last  degree  ideas  of 
moral  excellence  and  purity  of  character.  There  never  was 
a  system  since  the  world  stood  which  puts  upon  man  such 
motives  to  holiness,  or  which  builds  batteries  which  sweep 
the  whole  ground  of  sin  with  such  horrible  artillery.  Men 
may  talk  as  much  as  they  please  against  the  Calvinists  and 
Puritans  and  Presbyterians,  but  you  will  find  that  when 
they  want  to  make  an  investment  they  have  no  objection  to 
Calvinism  or  Puritanism  or  Presbyterianism.  They  know 
that  where  these  systems  prevail,  where  the  doctrine  of 
men's  obligation  to  God  and  man  is  taught  and  practiced, 
there  their  capital  may  be  safely  invested.  They  tell  us," 
he  continues,  "that  Calvinism  plies  men  with  hammer  and 
chisel.  It  does,  and  the  result  is  monumental  marble. 
(Some)  other  systems  leave  men  soft  and  dirty.  Calvinism 
makes  them  of  white  marble  to  endure  forever." 

Such,  my  brethren,  are  some  of  the  facts  in  regard  to  the 
value  of  the  Presbyterian  polity,  worship  and  doctrine  in  the 
making  of  strong  Christian  character  and  in  the  doing  of 
substantial  Christian  work.  Let  no  one  suppose  that  these 
facts  are  mentioned  in  a  spirit  of  mere  self-praise.  There  is 
surely  no  harm  in  recognizing  gratefully  any  gifts  and 
graces  God  may  have  bestowed  upon  our  branch  of  the 
church.  Nay,  there  is  positive  spiritual  advantage  in  doing 
so,  for  the  contemplation  of  such  a  record  is  fitted  to  hum- 
ble us  for  our  own  shortcomings,  and  to  fire  us  with  a  new 
zeal  for  the  great  scriptural  system  which  enabled  our 
fathers  to  render  so  mighty  a  service  to  the  Kingdom 
of  God. 

—224— 


That  system  is  our  heritage.  But  there  are  some  omi- 
nous signs  in  our  time  that  we  are  not  all  holding  this 
heritage  intact  and  that  the  proper  attitude  for  us  is  not 
self-complacency,  but  self-examination.  For  instance,  if 
the  people  choose  the  church  officers  whom  they  wish  to 
have  charge  of  their  organized  religious  work,  and  if  we 
allow  all  manner  of  voluntary  and  irresponsible  societies 
to  virtually  displace  the  session  and  other  church  courts 
and  to  determine  the  method  by  which  our  work  shall  be 
carried  on,  regardless  of  the  chosen  representatives  of  the 
people,  are  we  protecting  the  people  in  the  rights  which 
belong  to  them  under  our  Scriptural  republican  polity,  and 
will  not  both  officers  and  people  suffer  loss  of  power? 

Again,  if  we  substitute  for  our  simple  New  Testament 
forms  of  worship  an  elaborate  ritual  which  appeals  to  the 
senses  and  the  artistic  sensibilities  rather  than  to  the  mind 
and  the  conscience,  and  which  relies  on  ceremonies  rather 
than  ideas,  can  we  hope  to  continue  to  produce  the  staunch 
and  thoughtful  type  of  piety  which  has  been  the  glory  of 
our  past? 

Again,  if  we  substitute  for  the  strong  theology  which 
teaches  that  there  is  one  far-off  divine  event  to  which  the 
whole  creation  moves,  that  there  is  a  sovereign  God  of 
absolute  power  to  help,  to  save,  to  perform,  to  carry  out 
His  will — if  we  substitute  for  that  the  idea  of  a  God  in- 
capable of  foreseeing  the  future,  subject  to  mistakes,  wrest- 
ling with  an  unmanageable  universe,  whose  providence,  in- 
stead of  moving  with  the  definiteness  of  Omnipotence,  is 
"like  a  drop  of  water  trickling  down  a  window  pane,"  un- 
certain where  it  will  run  next* — do  we  not  dim  the  inspir- 
ing vision  of  faith  and  weaken  the  uplifting  assurance  of 
victory — do  we  not  cripple  high  endeavor  and  render  pa- 
tient continuance  in  well-doing  almost  impossible? 

No,  my  brethren,  if  we  would  still  continue  to  make 


♦Biblical  World,  xHv.,  23& 

—225— 
15 


Christians  who  can  not  only  mount  up  with  wings  as  eagles, 
and  who  cannot  only  run  and  not  be  weary,  but  who  can  also 
walk  and  not  faint,  then  we  must  still  stand  by  our  free 
polity,  our  simple  worship  and  our  stalwart  creed. 

Dr.  Charles  E.  Jefferson  has  said  with  truth  that  "we 
have  today  flocks  of  flying  Christians,  quite  too  much  in  the 
air.  We  have  also  racing  Christians,  a  breed  who  run  with 
fury  and  raise  a  deal  of  dust  and  disappear.  The  Christian 
man  most  needed  is  the  man  who  will  quietly  walk  through 
the  years,  day  by  day  loyally  doing  his  task,  loving  the 
church  with  a  passion  which  does  not  sputter  or  die  down, 
and  serving  the  church  with  a  fidelity  which  knows  no 
shadow  of  turning.  He  is  the  man  who  is  a  pillar  in  the 
temple  of  our  God,  and  he  shall  go  no  more  out  forever." 

In  this  flighty,  hasty,  superficial  age  of  ours  there  is 
surely  need  for  the  solid,  staunch  and  persistent  type  of 
Christian  character  and  work.  There  is  need  for  it  in  your 
city  as  well  as  elsewhere.  And  I  pray  God  that  this  ven- 
erable church  which  for  a  hundred  years  has  stood  for  these 
ideals  in  this  community,  may  abide  by  them  steadfastly 
through  the  years  to  come.  Wait  on  the  Lord.  Mount  up 
with  wings  as  eagles.  Run  without  weariness.  Walk  with- 
out fainting.  God  give  you  this  uplift  of  the  soul,  this 
readiness  for  His  service,  this  patience  in  His  work ! 


—226— 


CHAPTER  XII. 


SUNDAY,  NOV.  8. 

ii:ooA,M.     Centennial   Sermon.     By  the  Rev.  James 
I.  Vance,  D.D. 

7:30  P.M.     Address.    By  the  Rev.  Egbert  Watson  Smith, 
D.D.  Subject :  "Our  World  Obligation." 


MONDAY,  NOV.  9. 
7:30  P.M.     Greetings  from  other  churches — 

Rev.  Prof.  Thomas  Carter,  D.D. 
Rev.  Carey  E.  Morgan,  D.  D. 
Rev.  H.  J.  MiKELL,  D.D. 
Rev.  T.  a.  Wigginton,  D.D. 
Rev.  Rufus  W.  Weaver,  D.D. 
Rabbi  I.  Lewinthal. 
Bishop  Byrne, 

Paper.    By  Mr.  William  E.  Beard.    Subject; 
"The  History  of  the  First  Church." 


-227- 


TUESDAY,  NOV.  lo. 

7:30  P.M.     Greetings  from  the  Synod  of.  Tennessee.    By 
Prof.  G.  F.  Nicolassen,  Moderator. 

Address.  By  the  Rev.  James  H.  McNeilly, 
D.D.  Subject:  "The  Ministers  of  the 
First  Church." 


WEDNESDAY,  NOV.  11. 

7:30  p.m.  Address.  By  the  Rev.  Wm.  M.  Anderson, 
D.D.  Subject:  "Personal  Reminiscences 
of  My  Nashville  Pastorate." 


THURSDAY,   NOV.   12. 

7:30  P.M.     Paper.     By  Dr.  James  D.  Plunket.     Subject: 
"The  Church  Officers  and  Their  Work." 

Address.     By  Prof.  Henry  E.  Dosker,  D.D. 


Subject:   'The  Place  of  Calvinism  in  His- 
tory." 


-228- 


FRIDAY,  NOV.  13. 

7:30  to  10:00  P.M.    Church  reception  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Women's  Societies. 

Greetings   from   the   Pastors   of   the    other  Presbyterian 
churches  in  Nashville — 

Rev.  a.  S.  Allen,  Second  Presbyterian  Church. 

Rev.  W.  L.  Caldwell,  D.D.,  Woodland  Street  Pres- 
byterian Church. 

Rev.  L.  E.  McNair,  D.D.,  Moore  Memorial  Pres- 
byterian Church. 

Rev.  W.  S.  Barr,  Cottage  Presbyterian  Church. 

Rev.  T.  H.  Harrison,  Adams  Presbyterian  Church. 

Rev.  W.  C.  Alexander,  D.D.,  Glen  Leven  Presby- 
terian Church. 

Rev.  G.  B.  Harris,  West  Nashville  Presbyterian 
Church. 

Rev.  S.  H.  Chester,  D.D. 


SATURDAY,  NOV.  14. 

(Date  of  organisation.) 

11:00  A.M.     Formal  ppening   of   the    First   Presbyterian 

Church  Settlement  House. 

3:30  P.M.    Decoration  of  the  graves  of  former  pastors 
and  founders. 

Ministers. 

(Buried  in  Spring  Hill  Cemetery.) 

R]ev.  Thomas  B.  Craighead 

(Buried  in  City  Ce^netery.) 

Rev.  William  Hume 

Rev.  Obadiah  Jennings,  D.D. 

(Buried  in  Mount  Olivet.) 
Rev.  John  Todd  Edgar,  D.D. 
Rev.  Thomas  Verner  Moore,  D.D. 
Rev.  Thomas  A.  Hoyt,  D.D. 

—229— 


Charter  Members. 

(Buried  in  City  Cemetery.) 
Robert  Smiley 
Mrs.  Mary  McNairy 
Mrs.  Josiah  Nichol 
Mrs.  Sophia  Hall 

(Buried  on  Noel  Farm.) 
Mrs.  Andrew  Ewing 

(Buried  in  Talbot  Burying  Ground.) 
Mrs.  Tom  Talbot 

(Buried  in  Memphis.) 
Mrs.  Margaret  L.  Anderson 

Founder  of  Sunday  School. 
(Buried  in  Mount  Olivet.) 
Mrs.  Felix  Grundy 
Address.     By  Maj.  Wilbur  F.  Foster. 

Committee  on  Decoration  of  Graves. 

Mrs.  Percy  Warner  Mrs.  R.  S.  Cowan 

Mrs.  Robert  Ewing  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Dorris 

Mrs.  T.  D.  Craighead  Mrs.  Ellen  C.  Marshall 

Mrs.  John  Hill  Eakin  Mrs.  Bradford  Nichol 

Mrs.  Martha  Foster  Mrs.  Sue  V.  Symmes 

Mrs.  Geo.  W.  Fall  Miss  Kittie  Vaulx 

Mrs.  W.  F.  Foster  Miss  Ella  Brown 

Mrs.  W.  G.  Adams  Miss  Jennie  Hough 

Mrs.  Wm.  Bailey  Miss  Georgia  T.  Hume 
Miss  Louise  Grundy  Lindsleyi 

—230— 


SUNDAY,  NOV.   15. 

ii:CX)A.M.  Sermon.  By  President  Walter  W.  Moore, 
D.D.,  Union  Theological  Seminary.  Sub- 
ject: "The  Staying  Power  of  Presbyte- 
rianism." 

7:30  P.M.  Address.  By  President  Moore:  "God's 
Method  for  Strong  Character  and  Fruitful 
Work." 


REV.  JAMES  I.  VANCE,  D.D.,  Pa<stor. 
Miss  EwzabeTh  Pbarcv,  Pastor's  Secretary 

ELDERS. 

MR.   R.    S.    COWAN,    Clerk  MR.  JOSEPH   H.  THOMPSON 

MR.   ROBT.  G.  THRONE  MR.  A.  G.   ADAMS 

DR.  PAUL  F.  EVE  MR.  C.   B.   WALLACE 

MR.    WM.    H.   RAYMOND  DR.    J.    D.    PLUNKET 

MAJ.   WILBUR  F.    FOSTER  DR.    WM.    BAILEY 

MR.  W.  GALES  ADAMS  DR.   M.   G.  BUCKNER 

MR,   CHARLES  B.  GLENN  MR.   DUNCAN   MCKAY 

DR.    J.   D.    BLANTON  MR.    HENRY   SPEERY 

MR,  FRANK  BOENSCH,  SR.  MR.  W.   C.  COLLIER 
MR.  GEORGE  W.  KILLEBREW 

DEACONS. 

MS,  CHAS.  s.  CALDWELL,  President  mr.  verner  moore  lewis 
DR.  E.  A.  RUDDIMAN,  V.  President  dr.  john  a.  witherspoon 
MR.  JOHN  H.  McEWEN,  Secretary   mr.  t.  garland  tinsley 
MR.  EDGAR  M.  FOSTER,  Treasurer    mr.  harry  a.  myers 

MR.  CHAS.  E.  COOPER,  AsSt.  TreOS.      MR.   E.   W.  FOSTER 

MR.    GEO.    M.    WHITE  MR.  JOHN  P.  W.  BROWN 

MR.  J.   B.  GARRETT  MR.   ROBERT  T.    HOPKINS 

MR.  LEE  DOUGLAS  MR.   C.   C.  FOSTER 

MR.   T.   P.    KENNEDY  MR.    WM.    WINTER  LYON 

DR.    MCPHEETERS   GLASGOW  MR.   A.  TILLMAN  JONES 

MR.   LEMUEL  R.    CAMPBELL  MR.    W.    RIDLEY    WILLS 

MR.   WILLIAM   SIMPSON  MR.    J.    C.    LUCUS 

MR.  FRANK   BOENSCH,   JR. 

TRUSTEES. 

MR.   W.   W.   BERRY 

COL.  A.   M.   SHOOK 

MS.    PERCY    WARNIX 

—231— 


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